


Legacy

by unmistakablyunknown



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mutant Powers, Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Superpowers, Unethical Experimentation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:54:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 55,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28440471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unmistakablyunknown/pseuds/unmistakablyunknown
Summary: "Heroes are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with."Alex hadn't always had it easy but when it turns out that her absentee father is actually the famed Tony Stark, everything she'd ever known was shaken up and turned around. She was introduced to a world entirely new to her and she'd never been so intrigued by the life of superheroes until then.It was during the Battle of New York that she met Steve Rogers - Captain America - and that was the moment she decided that she wanted to be a superhero too. It just so happens that she should be careful what she wishes for. Becoming a part of the world's best superhero group comes with challenges, decisions and dilemmas she never thought she'd face. What unfolds after the fact, will become Alex's Legacy.
Relationships: Avengers Team & Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes & Original Female Character(s), May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker & Original Female Character(s), Pepper Potts & Original Female Character, Peter Parker & Avengers Team & Original Female Character(s), Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 20





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: Almost three months after the fiasco with Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer, things seem to be cooling down for Tony and Pepper at Malibu Point. However, just an hour away in Los Angeles, one fifteen-year-old Alexandra Hernandez is about to get the wake-up call of a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language(?), child abandonment (Idk what else to label it as), brief descriptions of anxiety, awkward/potentially ooc writing (I’m sorry), some poorly translated Spanish (I’m also sorry for that)

**2010**

**" _MIJA_ , WAKE UP," **her mother urged with several nudges against the hot skin of Alex's shoulder. With a groan and a grumble, the brunette teen rolled over and squinted up at her mother.

" _¿Que esta pasando?_ " she questioned as she sat up, _"_ It's early, _Mamá._ "

"I know _,_ Alex. You need to pack as much as you can carry." Something was undoubtedly wrong, based on the fear in her mother's voice. Alex decided not to ask any more questions. Marta Hernandez didn't spook easy, so for her to be so unhinged in front of her daughter meant something was _very_ wrong. The older woman turned and retreated out of Alex's room, leaving her to get dressed.

Alex tripped out of her pyjamas and fumbled around with a pair of jeans. Her foot got stuck in one of the rips in the knee and sent her crashing to the floor. A dull ache made itself known in her left hip and knee. She untangled the jeans and tugged them up hastily before she struggled to her feet. Even in her sleep-addled state, Alex knew she couldn't be picky about what she wore. She opened her top drawer and pulled out the first long-sleeve and t-shirt combo she touched.

After she'd brushed out her hair and braided the front two sections back, to keep it off her face, she plucked her glasses up from the edge of her vanity. She packed her backpack first, wedging in as many notebooks, sketchpads and stationery items as she could into the favoured bag. Next was a messenger bag that she filled with toiletries, a couple of reading books, her laptop and all the chargers and cables she'd need. Finally, she found a sizeable duffel bag that she opened and threw on to her unmade bed.

Alex rolled, folded and squeezed all the clothes she could put her hands on, into that duffel bag and that also included two extra pairs of shoes. She grabbed one of the few jackets she'd left out and headed down to the kitchen. Her mother was still making her way through the house and grabbing bagfuls of her own belongings.

" _¿Qué pasa, Mamá?_ What can I do to help?" the young brunette questioned as she piled her bags by the door.

"Nothing, just grab something to eat and a drink and go wait in the car," her mother instructed before tossing her the keys. With an uncomfortably dry mouth and knots in her stomach, Alex settled on a couple of rice cakes and a mouthful of orange juice before she retreated to the car with her bags.

In the front passenger seat, she picked away at the _lightly salted_ race cakes and kept her gaze fixed on the front door. A million possibilities ran through her head as she waited for her mother to emerge from their house. When she did eventually rush out of the door and lock up, Alex pulled her seatbelt across her front and clipped it into place. Her mother wasted no time in starting the car and hastily pulling out of the driveway before she sped off down the street.

"Where are we going?" the confused girl questioned as they turned and joined a street Alex wasn't familiar with. Marta didn't answer, only drove. Her white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel told Alex more than her words could ever.

" _¿A dónde vamos?_ " she repeated and that seemed to catch her mother's attention.

" _Un_ _lugar_ _seguro_ ," the older woman stated simply with a nervous edge to her voice.

"Why?"

 _"Ay, Dios Mio,_ Alex stop asking questions and just sit there!" Her mother's exclamation made her flinch. Without any further enquiries, Alex sat back in her seat and crossed her arms over her front. Music crackled through the stereo quietly as they continued on their journey. Alex still had no idea where they were going, so she tried to make assumptions based on the signs they passed.

_The Santa Monica Freeway? She didn't know anyone in Santa Monica..._

" _Mamá,_ can't you at least tell me why we left?" The question burst from her mouth before she could stop it and she immediately regretted it. Her mother let out a pensive sigh before she relinquished her vow of silence.

"Something happened at work, _Mija_ , there are some people that aren't very happy with their customer service and I need to ensure that you're safe until it all blows over."

"A civil dispute? You can't be serious, _Mamá,_ that's basically nothing -"

"No, no. You don't understand, Alex, this is much bigger than that. I can't let you stay in the house if it puts you at risk. At least where you're going, it'll buy you a few more years."

"Wait - Where _I'm_ going? A few more Years? What are you talking about?!" She grew agitated and demanded answers. Alex took a deep breath before she sat back in her seat again.

" _Mija -_ I can't explain everything right now but things will make sense in time and you need to understand it's a delicate matter -"

" _¡Mierda!_ Tell me the truth!"

" _¡Cuida tu Idioma!_ I do not have to explain myself to you, Alex. I am the grown-up and you are the child. I am taking you someplace safe because I feel like that is the right thing to do."

"But where, hm?! Where are you taking me that you deem so much safer than L.A? We don't even know anyone in _Santa Monica -_ "

"Your father." Those two words that cut her off made her heart stutter in her chest. Alex turned to face her mother and couldn't be certain she'd heard her properly.

"What?" she prompted but no reply came, " _¿Qué quieres decir?_ " Her voice hitched with the ferocity of her demands.

"Your father, Alex. I know I never talked about him and he was never in the picture, but there's a good reason for that -"

"Oh, really? You've known about him for _fifteen_ _years_ and you didn't tell me a Goddamn thing?!" Alex slammed an open hand against the dashboard in front of her, taking them both by surprise.

" _Porque_ it's complicated, _Mija,_ " the woman behind the steering wheel tried to calm her down.

"No, no. _Uncomplicate_ it and tell me the truth. _Ahora mismo_." The call for honesty elicited a heavy sigh from Marta as she conceded to her daughter's wishes.

" _Multa. De acuerdo, la Verdad._ I met your father at a big, flashy science expo back in the nineties. He was charming and flirtatious, he controlled the room the second he arrived. I was starstruck. We got talking, by chance at the bar -"

" _Dios Mio,_ _Mamá,_ I don't want to know about _that_. Just tell me who he is," the stressed-out brunette interrupted before she could hear anything she wouldn't like.

"A name is a very dangerous thing, _Mija_. I just want you to know that for the last fifteen years you've done nothing but remind me of him. How you talk, the way you hold yourself. You're more his blood than mine, Alex." Frustrated tears sprung into her whiskey-brown eyes and she bit back a sob.

"Why won't you just tell me who he is?"

"Because I can't be certain that we aren't being listened to. We're not far away, you'll find out who it is when we get there. I'm sorry it had to be this way." Alex gave up and resigned herself to sulking in silence as her mother turned off the Santa Monica Freeway and headed towards Malibu.

Alex waited for it to click into place. It should've by now. Alas, her sky-high IQ couldn't piece together any of the information she'd been given in the last hour. She had no idea what or who to expect.

Eventually, after driving along the coast, they reached Malibu Point. Another fifteen minutes of navigating the extravagantly-lined streets and they rolled up to a lavish mansion right on a clifftop overlooking the water.

"Alright, this is the last time I'm gonna ask. Who is my father?" Alex issued her ultimatum as she unclipped her seatbelt and turned in her seat to face her mother. Marta cut the engine and left the keys dangling in the ignition.

"Before I come clean, I just want to say something," she paused and Alex nodded for her to continue, "As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I knew you were his."

" _Mamá,_ " Alex pleaded with a tired sigh.

"Tony Stark." Her mouth went dry. Ribs ached as though someone had punched through them. Alex's head spun as she tried to make sense of the news.

" _Tony Stark_. Iron Man? The biggest household name since Janet Jackson? No, no way -"

"Alex, please -"

"This is insane! If you didn't want me anymore at least have the balls to tell me! Don't make up some _insane_ story to cover your ass," Alex exclaimed before she took several deep breaths to try and calm down. She was taken aback by her mother grabbing her wrist and tugging harshly so the Puerto Rican teen looked at her.

" _Escúchame_ , Alex," she hissed sharply, "I have never, in fifteen years, ever once considered giving you up. You are everything to me, understand? I would rather die than have to hand you over to someone else. None of this was an easy decision to make, _Mija_ and if it could be any other way, I'd be doing that instead."

"But there has to be another way - what if he hates me? What if he puts me out on the street because he doesn't want me? I'd have nowhere to go!" Marta Hernandez just shook her head, tears rolled freely down her warm tawny cheeks.

" _Lo_ _siento,_ Alex, there is no other way." Without uttering another word, she climbed out and crossed over to Alex's side of the vehicle. First, she removed Alex's bags and put them near the front steps of the curved mansion. Then she came back to the car and opened Alex's door. The glassy-eyed teen refused to move.

"C _ariño,_ don't make this any harder than it already is _,_ " she pleaded and Alex stayed put.

"Why do I have to go? Why can't I stay with _Tia?_ "

" _Tia_ doesn't know what I do for work and she doesn't need to be involved. I haven't spoken to her since the day I brought you home."

"Because she knew?" The silence gave it all away.

"So you told your sister but you never told your _actual_ daughter? Y' know what, fine. I'll go," she conceded and climbed out of the car, "But I will _never_ forget this day and I hope you don't either. I can't believe you'd just hand me over to a stranger." Alex scoffed and tried to step around Marta, only to be stopped by a far gentler touch. She watched as her mother unclasped the delicate gold chain that always sat around her neck.

"I want you to have this, as a reminder of who you are. It was my mothers, my _Abuela's_ and her _Abuela's_ before that." Alex kept a stony face as she clipped the heirloom chain around her own slender neck. In a rush of movement, Marta ducked back into the car and produced a hefty envelope with Alex's name printed on the front.

"I know you're going to hate me, _Mija_. But that won't last forever. This has everything you need in it, paperwork-wise." 

"Don't hold your breath," Alex with a drawn-out sigh as she broke away from her mother and headed to the door. She didn't look back. Heard the sound of the car doors shutting and the engine started back up again. The vehicle retreated and Alex was left on the doorstep of a mansion she could only _dream_ of. With her three bags full of her belongings, she outstretched a hand and rang the doorbell. Alex counted the seconds that passed after it.

She contemplated turning and walking to the nearest neighbour, but before she could, the door opened and revealed a slender redhead in a smart-casual dress and heels. Both women shared a look of confusion before the older woman cleared her throat.

"Hi, sweetheart, can I help you?"

"I... Uh, well -" the warm-skinned girl fumbled and tripped over her words. Tears of frustration stung in her eyes as she gave up and held out the envelope.

"I'm sorry," she apologised weakly before letting out a sharp breath. Concerned, the redhead stepped aside and let her in. She called for someone called _Happy_ to help grab her bags before showing Alex to the lounge.

"let's start simple, what's your name?" the older woman questioned as Alex took a seat on one of the plush sofas.

"Alex," she replied quietly, picking at her thumbnail.

"Pepper! Who is it?" A different voice joined the conversation and both women looked up to the balustrade that hung over the lounge. The speaker sauntered into view and posed at the railing.

_Tony Stark._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex gets caught redhanded in Tony’s workshop after failing to fall asleep. A surprise late-night guest at the Stark Tower opens up a world of intrigue for the young prodigy. A deal is struck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, a minor argument, Alex is a very Pushy person, it’s a fairly tame first chapter tbh

**NINE PM WAS GENERALLY WHEN ALEX WAS MOST AWAKE.** She liked to think she did her best thinking after 9 pm. Tony and Pepper were yet to be convinced.

Since graduating from Midtown Science at seventeen, she'd spent a year at CalTech to appease Tony before coming back to New York. In the four short months, she'd been home, Alex had found it easy to re-integrate into _Stark Industries_ and frequently helped out in the labs.

Dinner had been and gone and now she was laid aimlessly across her bed. Bored out of her mind. It had been an unfairly slow day and there was nothing she could do to get rid of the lingering boredom. With a harsh sigh, she sat up and ran a hand through her unruly hair. A metaphorical lightbulb light up above her head and Alex fancied herself a challenge. She reached for her MSST sweatshirt and pulled the warm garment over her head as she left her room, turning the light off behind her.

Barefeet padded against the sleek flooring as Alex made her way down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. She knew that Pepper and Tony expected her to be in bed, but realistically she probably wouldn't sleep until 2 AM at the latest. As she crept past the lounge, she heard them talking indistinctly about something - no doubt related to _Stark_ _Industries_. She moved on, heading straight for the stairs that lead down to Tony's workshop.

"Seven, three, nine," she recited as she typed in Rhodey's code for the doors. A smug grin painted itself across her lips as the doors slid open and she stepped inside, going straight up to the desks and the computer. The leather desk chair was cool against her skin but she didn't mind. A stray coffee mug sat by the mousepad and it made Alex smile, especially upon noticing that it was half-full with neglected coffee.

"Alrighty, let's go for a wander..." Alex mumbled to herself as she logged on to his desktop and began browsing through the umpteen-dozen files that lived on his home screen.

_"Miss Stark, you're not supposed to be in here,"_ the omniscient voice of Jarvis made her jump a foot in the air, cursing under her breath in Spanish.

"J, we've talked about this, you can't go scaring me like that. I'll have a heart attack before I'm fifty."

_"Of course. I am still obliged to tell you that you're not permitted to be in Mister Stark's workshop. Especially not at this time of night,"_ the AI sassed in reply and Alex chuckled.

"You can tell me all you want. We both know you're not a snitch, Jarvis." A long pause followed before an emphatic sigh echoed through the speakers.

_"You do make a valid point."_

"Thank you," she chirped before cracking her knuckles and getting started.

For the most part, they were just mark-up notes and schematics for the suits, nothing that interested Alex in the slightest. She was about to log out and return upstairs when a hidden file caught her eye.

_Fury's Superhero Boyband_

"What the Hell, Tony. Why was this hidden and who the hell is Fury?" she muttered to herself as she opened the files. An input box flashed up on the screen. Of course, he'd encrypted it. Part of her actually admired the paranoid part of his genius. The other loathed it because she knew Tony's encryption game was top notch.

Alex started making her way through the files, giving it as much as she could to crack through his encryption. She had to hand it to her old man, he knew what he was doing. She managed to decrypt two files; _The Avengers Initiative_ and Tony's own psychological evaluation. Whilst mildly entertained by the contents of his evaluation, her fun was cut short when she heard voices on the approach.

In her panic, she failed to get out of the files before shutting off the screen and scrambling to hide behind a shelving unit. Alex tried to keep her breathing level and quiet from her hiding spot. She clamped a hand across her mouth and caught her breath whilst listening intently to the conversation Tony and Pepper had been in the middle of.

"- Pep, all I'm saying, is that I think she'd gain more valuable experience if she went back to college -"

"And with all due respect, _Tony_ she's told you and she's told me she doesn't want that. If she wants to be a part of the company, you've gotta let that happen," the redhead stated firmly and Alex silently agreed with her from her hidden nook. A long pause followed and Alex's foot was starting to cramp from the way she'd crammed herself into the narrow space. Before she could stop it, her knee-jerked upwards and rattled the shelving unit next to the nook. A couple of small trinkets fell to the floor.

"Who's there?" Tony's voice barked and she was quick to jump out from her hiding space, her hands raised above her head.

"It's me! Alex! I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, flicking a dark curl of hair off her face. Tony and Pepper let out exasperated sighs before they dished out the disapproving looks.

"What were you hiding from, Alex?"

"Nothing - _Nothing_ , I swear," the Latina teen answered all too eagerly. With a look of scepticism, Tony circled back to his computers and turned the monitors on.

"You went snooping through my files?"

"No -"

"Alex, seriously?" Pepper shook her head and passed the teenager to pick up the few bits that had hit the floor.

"I got bored, alright? I'm tired of doing the same things day in, day out. And besides, I didn't go through _all_ of your files. Just the ones I could decode," she defended with a shrug as she slowly made her way closer to her father and his computer screens. Tony rolled his eyes and gestured to her wildly.

"This is why we gave you your own space -"

"So I could stay out of your hair? Because you don't trust me? I want to be more, Tony, _please_ ," she pleaded, breaking out the big guns. Alex knew he couldn't say no to her when she gave him her best puppy-dog eyes and batted her eyelashes.

"I said we'd think about it. And besides, it has nothing to do with trusting you. You know that. I just want to keep you safe."

"Safe? Or out of the way?" Tony let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. Pepper took it as her cue to step in. The older woman put a reassuring hand on Alex's shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Alex, what you did, wasn't okay. I think you know that. However, I have no doubt you overheard our conversation. We both want to do the right thing for you, I think that involves you taking a step into _Stark Industries._ Tony would rather -"

"Send me away!" she objected, put Pepper shook her head and persisted, keeping her voice level.

"He wants to make sure you're exploring as many avenues as possible," the redhead appeased and Alex cooled down slightly. Alex ran a hand through her hair and let her fingertips scratch lightly at her scalp. She had vague memories of her mother doing something similar when she was younger, though those days were miles and miles behind her now.

"I'm sorry. I won't go snoopinganymore, _Bueno_?" she bargained and that seemed to make Tony smile.

" _Si_ , _Bueno_. Now, _señorita,_ it's time to get to bed. Get a decent night's sleep for once," the weary older man instructed, gesturing to the doors of the workshop. Alex let out a sigh and opened her mouth to complain but he held a hand up to stop her before she could begin.

"Fine," she conceded and crossed over to Tony to hug him.

" _Fine_ ," he mocked in response and earned a laugh from his prodigy.

As they all began to go their separate ways, Pepper suggested Tony went out and replaced part of the transmission line that powered the tower, to test the new tech he'd been developing to make the tower completely eco-friendly. He seemed to like that idea and left to suit up.

"You've gotta be patient with him, Alex. He's still not entirely used to the parenting gig," the redheaded stated gently when Tony was out of sight and earshot.

"Yeah, well, I'm still not entirely used to _having_ a parental unit to rely on. I just want to make him proud, y' know?" The older woman nodded sympathetically at her former boss' daughter.

"You will. But don't go forcing it. Just let it happen," she advised with a comforting smile. Alex broke into a grin and nodded.

"Thanks, Pepper." With a final hug, Alex turned and headed up to her room. The words they'd shared rattled around her head like loose change as she swapped out her bare feet for warm socks.

She tried to go to sleep, she really did. But with a mind that never seemed to stop, the task of shutting off was nigh on impossible. Alex read, skimmed through a few movies and even did some yoga to try and relax, but nothing seemed to work. Giving up, she decided that a NyQuil and a warm drink might help. She swapped her pyjamas for jeans, a clean t-shirt, the same blue and gold MSST sweatshirt, her black Converse high-tops and grabbed her phone to keep her entertained whilst she waited for her drink.

However, in her wired state, she pressed the wrong button and the elevator opened up on the penthouse lounge. Tony and Pepper were by the sofas with a glass of champagne each.

"You went to bed almost two hours ago, how are you still awake?"

"Beats me," she quipped back at Tony's remark and stepped into the room. The lights of New York twinkled against the heavy black sky.

_"Sir, the phone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overridden,"_ Jarvis interrupted and Tony sighed, picking up one of the transparent rectangles of glass he classed as a 'phone'.

_"Mister Stark, we need to talk,"_ an unfamiliar voice stated.

"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message." Both Pepper and Alex stifled laughter at his antics, but the voice on the other end didn't seem so amused.

_"This is urgent."_

"Then leave it urgently -" All three of them turned when the elevator doors opened and a sharp-dressed man entered the room.

"Security breach. It's on you," Tony joked with a gesture to Pepper.

"Mister Stark," the mystery man spoke with a curt nod.

"Phil! Come in," Pepper greeted with a smile and both Alex and Tony shared a look of confusion.

"Phil?" the duo mused in unison before both adults stood up to greet the man properly.

"Uh, his first name is _Agent_ ," Tony insisted as they gathered halfway between the sofas and the elevator doors.

"We're celebrating -"

"Which is why he can't stay," the eccentric billionaire stated simply as he plastered what Alex called his "PR Smile" on to his face.

"We need you to look over this as soon as possible." Phil held out a sleek black file to Tony, who only refused.

"I don't like being handed things," he rebuffed and Pepper stepped in. She plucked the file from Phil's hands and gave him the champagne she'd been holding.

"Office hours are between eight and five every other Thursday," Tony explained with a faux-sad expression.

"This isn't a consultation," the agent assured them and before she could stop herself, Alex spoke up.

"Is this about the Avengers Initiative?" All three adults turned to face her with raised eyebrows and she tried to backpedal.

"Which - Which I know _nothing_ about, I swear." It was the worst lie she'd ever told and they all knew it. They saw through her but didn't pass comment on that fact.

"You aren't even meant to be down here," Tony pointedly spoke in her direction and Alex began to object, whilst Phil and Pepper tried to ignore them both.

"Oh, come on!"

"Another word from you and you're grounded until further notice, understood?" he warned, though there was a playful twinkle in his coffee-brown eyes.

"Fine," she huffed and crossed her arms.

"Besides, the Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify." Pepper handed Tony the black - electronic - dossier and he crossed over to the monitors to plug it in.

"I didn't know that," Alex confessed quietly and Phil _almost_ smiled at her. Pepper seemed to be biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling.

"Yeah, apparently, I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others," Tony continued.

" _That_ I did know," both Pepper and Alex admitted in unison. Phil made a noise of amusement and adjusted his stance.

"This isn't about personality profiles anymore -" Before he could continue, Tony called Pepper over to the monitors and left Alex with Phil.

"So, I get that I'm not meant to know - or ask - about what kind of agent you are, but, is it true there was going to be a team of superheroes?" the younger brunette enquired and rocked on her heels as she awaited an answer.

"Yeah, how did you know that?"

"I kinda decrypted a couple of things on my dad's computers earlier, saw some things," she admitted quietly with an embarrassed ruby glow taking over her cheeks and ears.

"Decryption? Is that your thing?"

"A little. I build, tinker. Read, _a lot_. Y'know, I have an I.Q of one-eighty-five, I speak two languages and I graduated high school two years early," she rambled and Phil just nodded along, seemingly impressed by her resume already.

"Is this your attempt at an audition for the team? Because I hate to break it to you, but you're still a little on the young side." When her face dropped, she could see the immediate panic in his eyes.

"That's not to say you can't _ever_ join the team, but perhaps not yet. Hm?"

_Not yet_.

"Sure," she agreed and an idea came to mind. Before she could fully enact it, Pepper and Tony finished their discussion and Pepper was headed to the elevator.

"Any chance you're heading by LaGuardia?"

"I can drop you," Phil assured her as the elevator descended. It stopped for a moment to let Pepper out so she could pack a bag and Phil agreed to meet the redheaded woman in the lobby. Alex seized her opportunity.

"Please let me come with you," she blurted out when they reached the lobby. He turned to her in disbelief and shook his head.

"No way, not your time yet, remember?" They stopped near the doors and Alex decided to ramp it up.

"You have no idea how badly I want - _need_ \- a chance like this."

"Why? Don't you have everything you need right here? Every opportunity afforded to you because of your name?" It hadn't meant to come out as harsh as it had, Alex knew so, but it still stung.

"I want to be more than just a name! I want to prove myself, do something to be remembered by. Did you ever want something like that?"

"A long time ago, kid. Things changed."

"Exactly! Things change and we could all be dead tomorrow. The most I ever contributed to the world was being a notable alumnus at Midtown Science. I don't want to live the rest of my life in Tony's shadow. I love him, I do, but I have to have something of my own, don't you think?" There was a heavy beat of silence before he handed her the keys to the car.

"Keep yourself hidden. Consider this a favour -"

"Alex," she beamed as she accepted the keys and giddily hurried out to the parking lot outside. The car, when she eventually found it, was sleek and reminiscent of most espionage vehicles she'd seen in movies. Alex made sure to keep herself tucked away behind the front passenger seat, in the footwell with her back pressed firmly against the door.

The ride to the airport was a tense one - for Alex at least - Pepper and Phil made idle conversation about anything and everything. Alex was forced to listen and keep quiet as they travelled. Music played faintly through the speakers and it brought some level of comfort to the cramped teen.

"Alright, c'mon, sit up front where I can see you," Phil instructed when Pepper was dropped off at the airport. With a sigh of relief, Alex climbed haphazardly into the front passenger seat and stretched out her aching limbs.

"You have no idea how much it means to me that you're willing to do this."

"Well, I'm not sending you into the field. Tony would kill me first. You can stay on the carrier and help out with intel, guidance and such. You'll be loosely supervised -"

"I'm _eighteen_ , I don't need a babysitter," she insisted, taking slight offence at the agent's insinuation.

"Regardless. The battle we're about to face is nothing like we've ever seen before," the agent stated gravely as he navigated the darkened streets. From her pocket, she felt her phone buzz. Alex knew it was Tony without even checking. All the more reason to ignore it, she reckoned.

"So, what exactly are we up against?" 

"Well, to keep it relatively simple, we located a cosmic cube, known as the Tesseract. Until two nights ago, it was in one of our top-secret facilities -"

"And then?"

"And then, Loki arrived and stole it back. He's currently somewhere in the world with a cube powerful enough to wipe out a continent. We aren't sure what his true intentions are, but we're certain that they don't bode well for any of us," he stated and a chill trickled down Alex's spine.

"Yeah, I can understand why you didn't want me to come with you," the Puerto Rican teen mused sarcastically.

"There's still time to turn around -"

"No way! I'm in it to win it now, I'm not going back without at least trying to help," she insisted and a sharp huff escaped the agent. Alex figured that must've been his attempt at a laugh.

The rest of the ride was quiet and Alex appreciated that a little, though the complete lack of conversation did unsettle her slightly. They drove and drove until Alex didn't recognise where she was anymore. When it had just about managed to pull the wool over her eyes, they pulled up at a secret-looking airstrip.

"You got any personal belongings?"

"Just my phone," she replied as they climbed out. To emphasise her point, she waved the device in the air for Phil to see.

"Alright, I'll be right through, I just need to make some calls first. Our jet is the first jet on the right." With a slight spring in her step, Alex followed the concrete path into the large hangar, squinting slightly under the harsh glare of the floodlights that surrounded the facility.

Upon finding the jet Phil was referring to, Alex stepped aboard and startled to find someone else already sat on one of the benches.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I was going to be alone," she apologised as the stranger stood up and stepped into the lights of the hangar.

"Don't worry about it. Are you also an agent?" His voice was startlingly deep and took Alex by surprise. Neatly styled blonde hair and icy blue-grey eyes. Square jaw, broad shoulders and a trim waist, from what she could tell. Outrageously good-looking, she concluded with an internal spike of jealousy.

"No," she replied slowly as she stretched a hand out to him. A look of worry crossed his face as he shook Alex's hand all the same.

"You're not an agent, should you even be in here? Do I need to call security?"

"No! Definitely not!" Alex exclaimed before she stepped further inside the aircraft.

"Ah, I see you're making friends already, hm?" Phil teased from the bottom of the bay doors. Alex mockingly laughed back and took a seat, slumping against the jet wall.

"Coulson? Care to make introductions?"

"Well, Steve Rogers, this is Alex Stark." _Holy shit, that's Captain America._

"Stark? Your father is -"

"Tony, yeah. He doesn't know I'm here though, so let's keep it that way." With introductions out of the way, they were set to take off. The pilots boarded and the doors closed. It felt strange, sitting across from a national hero she'd studied in school. Two hours in and it became unbearable.

"I'm just gonna get this out of the way and say, I'm a huge fan. We studied what you did, what happened and the aftermath for our first World History project. The old film footage was really cool too." This seemed to take Steve by surprise, but he took it well and offered a slight smile in reply.

"Thanks." A moment of silence passed before he spoke up again, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Aren't you a little young to be involved with S.H.I.E.L.D's affairs?"

"I'm eighteen. I'm a bilingual, tech-adept genius who graduated two years ahead of her class and spent a year at CalTech. Don't let my youthful features fool you," Alex rebuffed and that only seemed to further Steve's confusion. Phil picked up on this and cleared his throat to clarify.

"She speaks two languages, good with technology and is so smart that she finished school two years early and spent a year at a high-end college."

"And I'm only just getting started, trust me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having talked her way into being involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the impending battle, Alex finds herself in extraordinary company once on board the Helicarrier. More introductions are made and Alex gets a front row seat to watch the team bring in Loki for questioning, though it doesn’t necessarily go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, Tony plays disappointed dad, Nat is a little testy with Alex (don’t worry it won’t be like that forever)

**"SIR, WE'RE FORTY MINUTES FROM HOME BASE,"** the voice of one of the pilots woke Alex up from her brief sleep. She stretched out and stifled a yawn as Phil stood up from his seat at one of the screens.

"How long was I out?"

"About an hour. It was peaceful," Phil teased and Alex rolled her eyes before she feigned stretching out to kick him.

"You're hilarious. You should be a stand-up comedian instead," the young brunette snarked as Steve looked up from the large tablet he'd been reading from.

"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?"

"A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought Gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula," Coulson informed the blonde super-soldier.

"Didn't really go his way, did it?" Steve mused with a sympathetic expression as the footage played.

"When he's not that thing though, the guy's like Stephen Hawking." The comparison didn't land when Steve looked up at him blankly.

"He's like uh... Smart person..."

"Yeah, nail on the head with that one, Coulson," Alex commented with a sarcastic thumbs-up at the agent. All of a few seconds passed before he spoke up again, ignoring Alex's remark.

"It's an honour to meet you - officially. I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you whilst you were sleeping."

" _Ay Dios Mio_ ," Alex muttered under her breath. The awkward tension was suffocating and Coulson was only digging himself into a deeper hole.

"- I mean, I was present, whilst you were unconscious from the ice."

"I'd stop trying if I were you, Phil." She got a pointed glare in response this time and felt successful in her endeavour. Alex was pulled out of the conversation when her phone began to ring again. Upon inspection, Tony's face appeared on the screen.

" _Madre Mia,_ " she mumbled before accepting the call and holding the phone an inch or two from her ear.

_"Young lady you are in big trouble."_

"Yep, that's what I thought you'd say."

_"Where are you?!"_

"Would you believe me if I told you I didn't know?" she replied, hoping against hope he'd be a little lenient with her.

_"Absolutely not."_

"Well, jokes on you because it's true," she scathed in reply. On the other end, she heard the tell-tale exhalation of perpetual exhaustion.

_"At least tell me you're somewhere safe."_

"Sure. I'm somewhere safe -"

_"Alex!"_

"Fine! Fine, okay, I'm on a jet, headed towards some kind of home base. I'm with Phil Coulson -"

_"Did he drag you into this mess?!"_

"No - I forced him to let me tag along. I promise I'm safe. _Promesa,_ " she assured him as she looked out the cockpit window. A large war-craft was floating in the water and they were getting closer.

 _"You and I are going to have a conversation you're not going to like when you get home."_ It sounded more like a threat than a promise, but Alex wasn't in a position to be picky.

"Suits me. I'll call you later, alright?"

_"Alright. Stay safe."_

"Always." With that, she hung up. As Alex tucked her phone back into her pocket, they came in to land on the craft. The bay doors opened and let in bright rays of light. Phil rattled off instructions as they disembarked the jet. Alex was in-step with Steve as their feet hit the tarmac. They were approached by a woman with a head of burning red curls and a leather jacket.

"Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers and Alex Stark," Phil introduced them both and they took turns shaking the woman's hand. She informed Coulson that he was needed elsewhere and he took off, leaving Steve and Alex in this _Romanoff's_ presence.

"It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice," she began as they moved around the water-bound landing strip. Whilst Romanoff and Steve talked, Doctor Banner came into view, looking lost.

"Doctor Banner!" Alex exclaimed, which caught his attention and brought him over to the growing group.

"Yeah, hi, they told me you'd be coming with us," he greeted Steve before he turned to Alex.

"They didn't mention you though. Who are you?"

"Oh - I'm Alex. It's awesome to meet you, Doctor Banner," Alex gushed as they shook hands. It was clear that she was in awe of the whole situation and she knew that it made her look childish to appear so wide-eyed and excited, but she didn't care.

"The word is, you can find the cube," Steve interjected, and Banner looked nervous.

"Is that the only word on me?"

"Only word I care about," the stoic blonde stated.

"Must be strange, all of this?" Banner questioned as he gestured to the planes and the fact that they were on a ship that carried them.

"Well, this is actually kind of familiar," he admitted as a group of Air Force staff ran by in tracksuits and sweatshirts.

"Gentlemen, you may want to step inside in a minute," Nat suggested as she rejoined the trio, "It's going to get a little hard to breathe." As if on cue, the sounds of the engines changed and a high-pitched whirring took over. A P.A announcement instructed the flight crew to secure the deck.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve enquired as they moved closer to the edge to get a look over the side at what was going on.

"They want me submerged in a pressurised, metal container?" Banner remarked bitterly as the wind began to pick up, whipping seaspray into their faces. A glance over the edge revealed huge fan-looking engines emerging from the water. Apparently, Alex wasn't the only one impressed by the prospect of this thing flying.

"Oh, no, no this is _much_ worse." Banner's lack of optimism made Alex laugh and lean into the wind slightly before she turned and followed Nat inside. It was all sleek and high-tech inside and Alex couldn't help but wonder how it worked and the mechanics of it all. The four of them stepped into what Alex presumed to be the command deck. A man in a leather trenchcoat stood in the centre of all the computers and agents, his hands clasped behind his back.

Both Alex and Steve looked around in awe at the sight before them, though they were awestruck for vastly different reasons. Banner slunk off to the sidelines and Alex took a moment to drink it all in.

"This is _crazy_ ," she observed with a long exhale. When the trenchcoat-sporting man turned, Alex took a seat at the table. Steve and Banner remained stood up.

"Gentlemen - and, not-gentlemen? Who let you come aboard?"

"Sir! That's Alex Stark, the one I called ahead about? She's with me," Phil spoke up and the man seemed to grumble under his breath before moving on. Whilst Steve wandered through the computers and around the furiously working techies, Banner was approached by the mystery man. Alex noticed he had an eyepatch and a million questions ran through her mind, but she held her tongue.

"You're not the Stark I was hoping to get," he mused when it was finally her turn for a formal introduction. Alex scoffed and sat forward.

"Well, you've got me anyway, might as well make do."

"I'm Director Nick Fury. You're not officially allowed to be here, but Coulson seems to trust you and I trust Coulson. I trust it's no coincidence you have the same name as Iron Man?"

"He's my dad," she confirmed with a nod and Fury seemed pleased by that answer.

"Agents Hill and Romanoff will be supervising you, help them out in whatever way you can and there might just be an opening with your name on it," he bargained and Alex liked that idea. She stuck her hand out and he shook it with little hesitation. Before anything more could be spoken about, one of the agents alerted them to a facial match.

"We got a seventy-nine per cent match." Phil was the first to power-walk down the steps to level with the agent.

"Location?"

"Stuttgart, Germany. Twenty-eight Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding." The surveillance photos confirmed as much.

As they headed out to Germany, Fury had instructed Steve to go first. Alex was bubbling in anticipation to see the action unfold. Partnered with Romanoff in a smaller quinjet (that's what Fury had called them, so she'd assumed that was their official name) to get as close as possible, the wily teen was beyond excited.

They were hovering above some big, fancy music hall and hotel that was hosting a big event. Alex watched on the monitor the swathes of wealthy people that streamed into the halls, draped in their best clothes.

"So, how long have you been an Agent?"

"Probably as long as you've been alive," the firey-haired woman replied flatly. Alex could sense that she didn't want to be stuck babysitting.

"Fair enough." Alex knew when to draw the line, so she kept quiet for a while. She occupied herself with watching Steve, the way he was pacing, getting ready to drop in at a moment's notice to stop Loki. His suit was far more modern than it had been in the footage they'd watched at Midtown. It suited him as well as blue spandex could suit anyone. His caul was sat on the bench, waiting to be put on.

Soon enough, people were fleeing the hall and running around like headless chickens. Alex figured that was clue enough to what was going to happen next. In a glittering gold mirage, Loki emerged in full battle garb, a glowing blue staff clutched in his hand. He cornered a mass of people with duplicates of himself and from the quinjet, with tech that Alex was yet to fully understand, they were able to listen to what he was saying.

 _"Kneel before me."_ When they didn't listen he rapped his staff against the floor and a blue flash startled them enough to make them pliant.

 _"I said, KNEEL!"_ Terrified, everyone dropped to their knees, _"Is not this, simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."_

"What is this? Scandanavian Shakespeare in the Park?" Alex commented as Steve readied himself by the bay doors, his shield on his arm and caul on his head.

"We're familiar with the type, his older brother, Thor, visited Earth not too long ago. They all seem to have a flair for the dramatics," Nat informed her as she kept the quinjet steady. They watched in abject fear as an old man stood up, defiant.

_"Not to men like you."_

_"There are no men like me,"_ the God assured him, a deviant smirk on his dark features.

 _"There are **always** men like you." _As it looked like Loki was about to kill him, Steve jumped and intervened.

 _"You know, the last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."_ An uncontrollable smile broke on to Alex's face as justice was prepared to be served.

Natasha, as Alex had learned her name was, engaged the guns on the quinjet and turned on the PA system.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down," she instructed firmly. In the blink of an eye, he looked up and sent a blast of blue light up at them. Nat narrowly dodged the blast and righted the jet. Alex felt helpless as she watched Steve take on Loki single-handedly. She wanted so desperately to help out more, to intervene and stop things before someone got seriously injured. Then it dawned on her that even if she wanted to, she couldn't. She was a kid. A kid with no combat experience or experience in covert operations in general.

Alex had never felt more useless.

As Nat brought the jet closer, music began to play over the comms unit. AC/DC's _Shoot To Thrill_ playing obscenely loud and Tony's voice followed.

_"Miss me?"_

"Guess the Gods aren't the only ones with a flair for the dramatics," Alex mused as she settled into her seat. It was over for Loki and he surrendered without any more violence. Steve and Tony rounded him up and got him on the quinjet. The five of them were pleased with their efforts and began the flight back to the Helicarrier. Tony gestured for Alex to follow him to the back of the quinjet, no doubt for that conversation he promised earlier.

"Alex -"

"Before you say anything, I just want you to know that I stayed out of the way, I've behaved myself and I don't want you to overreact," she interjected before the lecture could begin.

" _Overreact_?! Alex you snuck out behind my back, to what? Go galavanting around like some hero? Playing pretend like you're eight? It might seem like a foreign concept to you Alex, but I _worry_ and when you weren't in the Tower I just about lost my damn mind -"

"I'm sorry!" she whisper-yelled at him, not wanting to raise her voice and cause even more of a scene.

"Sorry's not gonna cut it, Alex. You're lucky we're stuck with this Loki problem until further notice or you'd be grounded until your fifty. I'm not kidding, you're really toeing the line with this," he spoke sharply and Alex felt the bite of his words.

"I just wanted to be like you," the brunette stated mournfully, eyes full of unshed tears. Alex swallowed thickly before she cast her gaze to the floor, picking at a hangnail on her thumb.

"Why don't you just try being yourself, for once?"

"Yeah... I'll try," she agreed before she stepped around him and took a seat on the bench opposite Loki. No matter how hard she tried, Alex couldn't shake the horrible feeling that she'd disappointed Tony. That was the furthest thing from her intentions but it felt like that all the same.

Alex zoned in and out after that, unable to properly focus on anything. Conversations continued around her and she remained in place. A proverbial stick in the mud. She was snapped out of the funk by an almost deafening crack of thunder and flash of lightning. Alex noticed Loki's growing sense of discomfort as he sat forward, eyes fixated on the sky through the glass roof.

"What's the matter? Are you scared of a little lightning?" Steve jested and the trickster quirked a brow.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," he admitted as a loud _thunk_ jolted the quinjet. Something was on the roof. Everyone was on edge. The bay doors opened as Tony put his helmet back on and Steve tugged on his caul. The _person_ that had landed on the jet, jumped down to the bay door and Alex could've sworn she saw a hammer in his hand.

Before either Steve or Tony could stop the hammer-wielding stranger, he wiped them both out and took off with Loki. Even after they'd disappeared, the smell of ozone lingered.

"That guy's friendly?" Nat called out over the noise and Tony shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract is lost," the billionaire stated plainly as he stepped closer to the open door.

"Stark! We need a plan of attack!" Steve exclaimed as he went to stop Tony from leaving.

"I have a plan. Attack." As he jumped out of the quinjet, Alex noticed the subtle eyeroll from the super-soldier as he reached for a parachute and tugged the harness on over his suit.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," Nat suggested over her shoulder as she flipped a few switches.

"I don't see how I can," he rebutted whilst clipping the harness together across his chest.

"These guys come from legend. They're basically Gods," the redheaded assassin added in hopes of discouraging him.

"There's only one God, ma'am and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that," Steve retorted before he took a running jump off the bay door and into the chilly night air.

" _Men_ ," Nat hissed as she shut the bay door and carried on flying. Alex stepped closer to the cockpit and placed a hand on the empty pilot chair to steady herself.

"They'll be fine, right?" There was a brief pause whilst the Russian turned the quinjet around to hover nearby.

"Yeah, totally. Those guys? Have it _all_ under control."

"The lack of enthusiasm tells me otherwise but I'm not in the mood to worry about anything else tonight," Alex observed before moving to take the seat. The guilt still ate away at her as Tony's words rattled in her head. She tried to distract herself by looking out the windows. They were over the Black Forest. If it had been daylight, Alex assumed she'd find it quite magical, but the heavy darkness took most of the glamour away.

She opened her mouth to pass comment about what might be going on when a bright flash and a loud ringing burst out of the forest and flattened a considerable radius of trees into a perfect circle.

"Holy shit," Nat cussed as she righted the jet after the blast.

"I second that," the unruly-haired teen agreed as she repositioned herself in the leather seat.

When all four men were back on the quinjet, the journey back to the Helicarrier seemed relatively short. Alex's eyes grew heavier with each passing second and when they touched down, she jolted away. Tony put a hand on her shoulder and nodded to the door.

"C'mon, let's get you inside." She followed them out and watched as Steve and Thor dragged Loki on to the landing strip before handing him over to a group of armed guards. They all regrouped on the command bridge. Nat was watching the detention cell security footage whilst Alex tried to stay awake. Steve was sat two seats over. Thor and Banner were stood up, listening to the smooth-accented words pour through the speakers. Tony was nowhere to be seen.

_"- A mindless beast. Makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"_

_"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with War. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill because it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did,"_ Nick spat back and there seemed to be a much more sombre mood in the air.

 _"Oh, it burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have the power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share. And then to be reminded what real power is,"_ Loki continued to monologue and Alex, much like everyone else on that deck listening in, was tired of the theatrics.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner mused sarcastically as the feed shut off. Alex chuckled in agreement and straightened out in her chair.

"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" All eyes turned to the blonde God of Thunder, who was posed pensively against the table.

"He has an army, called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard, nor any world knew. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army, from outer space," Steve clarified, clearly not convinced.

"So, he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for," Banner interjected as he took his glasses off and leaned against one of the nearest chairs.

"Selvig?" Alex questioned, looking around the group for answers.

"He's an astrophysicist," Banner clarified.

"He's a _friend,_ " Thor refuted indignantly and Alex sensed some brewing tension.

"Loki has him under some kind of spell," Nat spoke up, arms folded across the desk, "Along with one of ours."

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from _here_." Alex thought that seemed reasonable, everyone else had differing ideas of their own.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You could smell crazy on him," the curly-haired scientist spoke and tapped his folded glasses against his fingers.

"Have care how you speak, Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother," Thor defended and took a step closer to the group around the table.

"Well, he killed eighty people in two days," Nat deadpanned and that seemed to be eye-opening enough.

"He's adopted," the buff blonde God admitted with a small shrug.

"It could be about the mechanics?" Heads turned to Alex, who hadn't even meant to speak aloud. They stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.

"The Iridium? What do they need Iridium for?"

"It's a stabilising agent," Tony declared as he finally arrived, Agent Coulson in-step.

"It means the portal won't collapse on itself as it did at S.H.I.E.L.D. No hard feelings, Point Break, you've got a mean swing," he added, gesturing to Thor in the process.

"Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants." They watched as the self-proclaimed genius stepped into Fury's post, taking note of all the screens. Alex went to question what he was doing when Tony turned and pointed to a techie off to the side.

"That man is playing _Galaga._ He thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." Alex rolled her eyes and desperately wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

" _Ay, Dios Mio,_ " she proclaimed under her breath as the others watched on with similar exasperation.

"- The rest of the raw materials Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily," he stated whilst tapping at some of the screens, "The only major component he still needs is a power source of high-energy-density. Something to kickstart the Cube."

"When did you become an expert on thermonuclear astrophysics?" Agent Hill questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Last night," he confirmed with a shrug as if it was nothing, "The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers? Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Does Loki need a particular kind of power source?" Steve interrupted, clearly not amused by the rambling going on.

"He'd have to heat the Cube to one-hundred-twenty-million Kelvin, just to break through the Coulomb Barrier," Banner informed the super-soldier and Alex started to cotton on to what they were saying.

"Unless Selvig figured out how to stabilise the quantum tunnelling effect," she offered and both Banner and Tony seemed surprised.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy-ion fusion at any reactor on the planet," Banner finalised and Tony let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, someone who speaks English."

"Is that what just happened?" Steve queried, genuinely confused. Alex found it mildly amusing.

"It's good to meet you, Doctor Banner," Tony affirmed as he approached the shorter man with an outstretched hand, "Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster -"

"Tony!" Alex exclaimed in warning, embarrassed by his lack of social tact.

"Doctor Banner is only here to track the Cube. I was hoping you might join him," Fury joined the conversation, gesturing to Tony.

"Start with that stick of his," Steve suggested, "It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon."

"I dunno about that, but it is powered by the Cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys? I do not understand," Thor voiced his confusion, the reference clearly having gone over his head.

"I do! I understood that reference," Steve exclaimed suddenly, taking everyone by surprise. Bemusement settled on Alex as the rest of the team were dismissed and split up to their assigned jobs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex accompanies Bruce and Tony in the lab, when Steve arrives, tensions climb. She and Steve uncover some concerning items being stored on the carrier. Their journey is rudely interrupted by uninvited guests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, mild panic attack symptoms, Tony being a bit of a jackass, mild character injury, explosion.

**ALEX THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BEST TO STAY CLOSE, SO SHE ACCOMPANIED TONY AND BRUCE TO THE LAB.** She took up a perch on one of the workbenches, her feet were left dangling off the edge as she watched the two men of science go back and forth, reading screens and running tests.

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports of the Tesseract," Bruce confirmed, "But it's going to take weeks to process."

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct route to the Homer cluster, we can clock this at around six-hundred teraflops," Tony replied as he finished up on one of the monitors, only to cross over to another. Alex was sat tinkering with a few bits of non-vital circuitry, trying to keep her hands busy.

"All I packed was a toothbrush," Bruce mused as he put the findings into one of the monitors closest to him.

"You should stop by Stark Tower sometime. Top ten floors are all R and D. You'd love it, it's Candy Land," Tony offered as he reached for a tool off of one of the benches.

"Thanks, but last time I was in New York, I kind of _broke_ Harlem," the bespectacled scientist politely declined.

"Well, I promise a stress-free environment," Tony began and Alex snorted, "No tension, no surprises." He prodded Banner in the side and zapped him with some kind of small charge. As he did, Steve arrived.

"Hey! Are you nuts?"

"Jury's still out on that one, Steve," Alex informed him and Tony cast a comedic glare her way.

"You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, a huge bag of weed?" Alex couldn't cope with how nosy Tony was and felt sorry for Bruce and Steve having to bear witness to it.

"Is everything a joke to you?" There was no amusement in the Captain's voice. A strange feeling settled on Alex that made her uncomfortable.

"Funny things are," he answered, pointing to Steve with the screwdriver.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offence, Doc," Steve rebuffed.

"It's alright, I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things," the Doctor admitted quietly.

"You're tip-toeing, Big Man. You need to strut -"

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mister Stark," Steve snapped. Alex didn't like the mounting tensions and wished to be anywhere else.

"Do you think I'm not? Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables," Tony stated in response, cocky as ever.

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Steve asked before Alex could.

"He's a spy. Captain, he's _the_ spy. His secrets have secrets. It's bugging him too, isn't it?" Tony turned to Banner with a mouth full of blueberries, taking the scientist by surprise. It was obvious to Alex that he didn't want to be a part of this pissing contest.

"Ah - uh... I just want to finish my work here, and..." he trailed off whilst gesturing to the sceptre in front of him.

"Doctor?"

" _A warm light for all mankind_ , Loki's jab at Fury about the Cube -"

"I heard it," Steve agreed.

"I think we all did," Alex chimed in before waiting for Bruce to continue.

"I think that was meant for you," he gestured to Tony, who seemed to take offence, "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news." Tony offered Bruce the blueberries and although visibly confused, he accepted anyway.

"Stark Tower? That big, ugly -" A pointed glare from Tony cut him off "- building in New York?"

"It's powered by an arc reactor, like the one in his chest, just on a bigger scale," Alex filled Steve in and the blonde super-soldier nodded in acknowledgement.

"A self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for, what, a year?" Bruce questioned as he rolled his sleeves up.

"It's just a prototype," Tony rebuffed, humble for once, which surprised Alex, "I'm kinda the only name in clean energy right now. That's what they're getting at."

"So, why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?" Alex questioned as she hopped down from the tabletop and moved closer to the trio. They all seemed mildly surprised that she was even invested in the conversation, but she didn't have much of a choice.

"I should _probably_ look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure files," Tony verbalised as he checked one of his smaller handheld devices.

"I'm sorry, did you say -"

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D has ever tried to hide." Steve seemed to be getting more irritated with every word that came out of Tony's mouth and whilst Banner cowered behind the sceptre and work, Alex was stuck in the middle.

"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around."

"An intelligence organisation that fears intelligence? Historically, not awesome," Tony remarked as he plucked another few blueberries from the packet in his hand.

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have our orders. We should follow them," Steve insisted. A heavy pause followed so Alex offered her two cents.

"I agree with Cap on this one, Tony."

"You're still not entirely in the clear yet, you're not in a position to be picking sides and trying to persuade me otherwise." The greying brunette turned back to Steve.

"Following's not really my style." Steve rolled his eyes and scoffed. The taller man adjusted his stance and Alex thought they were going to throw hands in the middle of the lab.

"And you're all about style, aren't you?" the super-soldier snarked and Tony shrugged, seemingly nonplussed.

"Please don't fight," Alex pleaded quietly from the sidelines, unprepared if they did.

"Of the people in this room, which one is A; wearing a spangly outfit and B; not of use?" Alex so desperately wanted to yell, to break the unbearable levee that had settled on the room. But she couldn't.

"Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you," Bruce finally spoke up again from his work station. The blonde looked between the two of them before he set his jaw and made his decision.

"Just find the Cube," Steve stated simply before he turned on his heel and walked out. When he was out of the lab, Alex turned to Tony, frustrated.

"That's the guy my dad never shut up about?"

"Now I can see exactly why they didn't want you on this team. You just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Alex, this is an adult superhero issue, you don't need to worry about it," he tried to assure her but she rolled her eyes.

"Bullshit! I have no choice but to worry because you're doing more harm than good _._ I think it's you who needs to grow up and learn to read the room, _cabrón,_ " she snapped before hurrying out after Steve, wanting to apologise on Tony's behalf at the very least.

Alex kept a reasonable distance but remained close enough behind him so as not to lose him in the busy corridors of the Helicarrier. She was slick and light on her feet, ducking around corners and weaving through the sea of agents to keep up with him. Eventually, the crowds disappeared and they found themselves in an empty stretch of hallway. She was surprisingly adept at hiding and stepping out of view whenever he looked over his shoulder.

What she didn't anticipate was Steve waiting for her when she rounded the corner after him. He spun them around so she was pinned to the wall, looking up at him. Up close like this, Alex realised just how physically intimidating he was. With one hand either side of her head, looking down at her with a hardened glare, Alex found it difficult not to wilt away.

"What's your angle, Alex? Why are you here?"

"I want to help," she stated quietly, unable to speak any louder. Steve huffed out a laugh and gave her a pointed look.

"So you've said but I don't buy it. There's gotta be some other reason."

"Listen, Steve, there is no other reason. I want to do more. _Be_ more. Tony wouldn't let me do that knowingly so I had to do things my way. I want this solved just as much as you do," she assured him, keeping her voice level and maintaining eye contact, no matter how piercing his blue eyes were.

"If you don't believe me then on your head be it, but I'm not here to get in anyone's way." A long silence followed and then Steve sighed, backing off and straightening up.

"Fine. Keep quiet and keep up," he conceded and continued on his way. Alex wasn't given the chance to agree but she hurried along behind him to one of the bottom cargo bays. They stopped at a door and he didn't hesitate to force the metal open with minimal resistance.

"Woah," Alex exhaled as she watched him. Wordlessly, Steve made his way inside and Alex was quick to follow. It was eerily quiet and it made Alex's hairs stand on end. On the walkway above them, armed agents chattered between themselves. Alex followed Steve almost down to the footstep. He jumped on top of the nearest crate before launching himself at the walkway railings. Alex thought he made it look too easy but followed after him, a little less gracefully.

"What exactly are we looking for?" she whispered as they made their way through the dozens upon dozens of crates and marked boxes.

"Proof," the super-soldier whispered back.

"Of what?"

"That we're not being told the whole story." Alex accepted that as reason enough and followed along. She was so wrapped up in what they were doing that she almost crashed into Steve's back when he stopped. With a silent gesture, he pointed to the case he'd stopped in front of. Alex waited in anticipation and he cracked it open. Inside was a weapon and a helmet not like anything Alex had ever seen before. They were black and grey, old.

"What's that?" she whispered hoarsely, pointing at the logo on the side of the gun. It looked like an octopus with a skull for the head, but she knew it wouldn't be as simple.

"HYDRA. A branch of the Nazi tree. C'mon, grab something and get it back to the lab," he instructed quietly. Alex obliged and opened the case next to it, seizing the contents and following Steve out the way they'd come in. They entered the lab and found Fury with Tony and Bruce.

"What is Phase Two?" Tony questioned as they dumped the contents on to a table.

"Phase Two is S.H.I.E.L.D. uses the Cube to make weapons. Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow for me," Steve snapped and Alex thought that it was an entirely plausible conclusion.

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract," Fury began, "This does not mean we're making -"

"I'm sorry, Nick, what were you lying?" Tony interrupted and turned the monitor screen to face them.

"I was wrong, Director, the world hasn't changed a bit," the blonde stated bitterly. As tensions began to climb, Nat and Thor arrived.

"Did you know about this?" Bruce questioned the redhead femme fatale.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" A strong sense of unease settled on Alex again and nagged at the back of her head. Things were about to go wrong. Very wrong. She could tell.

"I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed," Banner snarked.

"Loki is manipulating you," Nat tried to ease the situation from boiling over.

"And you've been doing what, exactly?" the doctor fired back.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Alex mumbled to herself as she gravitated closer to Tony for some modicum of comfort.

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you -"

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction," he insisted. Anxiety gnawed at Alex's nerves.

"Because of him," Nick finally spoke up, pointing to Thor. Everyone seemed equally confused.

"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet, who had a grudge match that levelled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, _hilariously_ , outgunned," the Director remarked as everyone began to tense up.

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet -" Thor was quick to interject.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world is filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be _controlled_." Fury fired back just as quickly.

"Like you control the Cube?" Steve chimed in and it was a fair point to make.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war," Thor accused and nausea crept into Alex's stomach.

"A higher form?" the super-soldier to her left questioned incredulously.

"You forced our hand, we had to come up with something," Fury tried to make excuses.

"A nuclear deterrent? Because that always calms everything right down," Tony mused, voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?" All eyes turned to Tony and by proxy, Alex too.

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep -" Steve began and it became abundantly clear to Alex that he didn't like Tony. At all.

"Hold on. How is this about me?"

"Isn't everything?" the blonde shot back and Alex swallowed back bile.

"Don't do this, please. Don't fight," she pleaded quietly, feeling more nauseous with every passing second. As it all devolved into chaos, Alex seemed to be the only one that noticed the sceptre was glowing a little brighter and a high-pitched whirring rang in her ears. She opened her mouth to speak but they were all too busy arguing with one another to notice.

"- You speak of control, yet you court chaos," Thor spoke arrogantly. Alex's mouth dried up.

"That's his M.O, isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're a time bomb," Banner spoke up and all eyes turned to the famed scientist.

"You, need to step away," Fury instructed and it became apparent that things wouldn't end well.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony enquired, bemused by the situation. Alex didn't find it funny and neither did Steve. He batted away Tony's hand and snapped.

"You know damn well why. Back off!"

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me," Tony challenged.

"Yeah, a big man in a suit of armour. Take that off and what are you?" It almost came out like a snarl, harsh and biting.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," Tony rattled off as if it was nothing.

"I know guys with none of that, worth ten of you."

"Please stop," Alex protested weakly, feeling worse and worse with each sharp comment and scathing syllable.

"The only thing you fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire," Tony responded, ever the smartass. Steve let out a bitter chuckle and shook his head.

"Always a way out. Y' know you may not be a threat but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero? Like you?" the shorter man jested, "You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle."

"Enough! Please for the love of God stop with this stupid pissing contest! So we haven't all been completely honest, okay! Lies might have been told and the truth might have been omitted but right now who the hell really cares? We have an imminent alien invasion on our hands and you're all standing around here _bitching_ at one another like you're all somehow perfect humans? Get over yourselves _ay Dios Mio,_ " Alex finally snapped before storming out of the lab. Once in the corridor, she sunk to the floor and caught her breath.

_Don't forget to breathe._

_Everything will be alright, Mija._ Her mother's words echoed in Alex's ears and she took several long breaths, counting as she went. Almost a minute went by before Tony stepped out into the corridor and sat next to her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He questioned gently as he tapped his foot against hers. Alex sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Why are you guys making such a big deal out this? Is it not enough to face potential extinction that you have to rip each other apart as well?"

"I wish I had an answer for you that makes sense. I do. We're a lot of conflicting ideals, Alex and we're being - I don't wanna say _forced_ \- but we're being forced into this situation."

"And your odds of winning this battle against Loki only decrease with every petty argument. I want to be a part of this, whether you like that or not. But I can only listen to so much bitching without getting overwhelmed. You guys are meant to be a team," Alex replied, voice strained as her eyes glossed over with tears.

"I know. Maybe we will be, one day. Anyway, I don't care about that right now, I care about you and I want to be sure that you're okay."

"I am, I guess. I should lower my expectations, right?" He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her into his side. Alex let out a watery laugh and wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"For now. It's not too late, y' know, I could get you back to the Tower before -"

"No way! I want to see this through to the end," Alex insisted, sitting up to look at Tony. He held his hands up in surrender before he pushed himself to his feet. When he was upright, he held a hand out to Alex and he helped her up. The Puerto Rican teen dusted herself off and followed her father back into the lab.

"- The cell was just in case -"

"In case you needed to kill me. But you can't. I've tried. I got low and didn't see an end. So I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spat it out. So I moved on," Banner interrupted and Alex was confused as to what she'd walked in on. The more he spoke, the more irate he became, to the point of picking up the sceptre from the table. Everyone hovered near their weapons.

"Doctor Banner put the sceptre down," Steve instructed firmly and it seemed to dawn on him what had happened.

Before anything else could kick-off, one of the monitors beeped and flashed. A match for the gamma signature had been found. As they started to bicker about who should go after it, an uneasy feeling settled on Alex. There was something wrong.

"Hey, guys -" She was interrupted by a large explosion and a violent jolt of the Helicarrier that sent them all sprawling across the floor. Alarms blared and emergency lights flashed. Alex had hit her head off the wall she'd crashed into and as she tried to look around, the room spun, making her unstable.

_What the hell?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dealing with the fallout of the explosion and the attack on the carrier, Alex pitches in where she can. With the team scattered and a devastating loss hitting those that remained on board, they need to come up with a new plan. Alex gets chance to talk to Steve, properly, for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, character death, mild injuries, a tiny bit of angst if you squint I guess

**THE WHOLE HELICARRIER WAS CAST INTO CHAOS.** Alex's ears were ringing and the back of her skull pounded as she forced herself into a standing position. Amongst the scramble to get back on their feet, the team split. Despite her confusion, Alex broke into a run towards the command bridge.

Techies and agents alike were rushing to their stations, in hopes of putting the situation right. Several older agents ran by and bumped into Alex, not that she cared at that moment.

"- Engine three is down!" Hill relayed as she tapped away at her monitors.

"What's going on?" Alex enquired as Hill power-walked over to a sweaty techie.

"An external detonation. Nothing you can help with," the older woman replied over her shoulder. Without thinking about it, Alex jumped the railing and made her way over to the senior agent.

"Try me," she challenged and a short beat passed before Alex was let in on the conversation.

"The turbine is mostly intact but it's impossible to get out there and make repairs whilst we're in the air," the techie confirmed with a gesture to his screen.

"If we lose one more engine, we won't be." That forced Alex's hairs on end and made her want to help even more.

"What can I do to help?" Agent Hill handed her an earpiece and directed her to an empty desk.

"Talk them through how to fix it," she instructed before dealing with another panicked techie.

" _Them_?"

 _"Alright, what are we doing, Alex?"_ Tony's voice greeted her ears as she acquainted herself with the interface on the monitor. The Stark prodigy cracked her knuckles and set to work.

"It looks like the blast put some debris in the way of the rotors, you're gonna have to clear that first, alright?"

 _"Oh, piece of cake,"_ he mused in reply. Before she could offer further instruction, Nick reappeared on the bridge, out of breath.

"Take us to the water!" he demanded and a frantic techie looked back at him.

"We're flying blind. Navigation's recalibrating after the engine failure."

"Is the sun coming up?" Fury snapped back.

"Y-yes, sir."

"Then put it on the left. Get us over water. One more turbine goes down and we drop," he barked and the techie nodded. In Alex's ear, Steve joined the conversation.

"Alright, once you've got the debris clear, all you have to do is get the superconducting coolant system back online before you can access the rotors," she explained, tapping away at the keys to get a better view of the carrier's schematics.

_"What about Spangles?"_

"He needs to get to the engine control panel and figure out which relays are in overload position."

_"You catch that Cap?"_

_"Loud and clear. I'm on it,"_ the super-soldier affirmed and all Alex could do was sit and wait for them to sort it out.

 _"What's it look like in there?"_ Tony questioned and Alex figured Steve must've made it to the control panel.

_"It seems to run on some form of electricity."_

"Well, you're not wrong," Alex assured him, stifling a poorly-timed laugh. Below her feet, Alex sensed a faint rumble and couldn't be certain what caused it. The slight resonation of a roar clued her into who was responsible.

 _"Okay, the relays are intact. What's our next move?"_ Steve informed both Starks and Alex let out a shaky breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

_"Even if I clear the rotors, this thing won't re-engage without a jump."_

"Are you crazy?" The question escaped Alex before she could stop it.

 _"Technically, you're a stowaway right now, so your opinion is null and void. I'm going to have to get in there and push,"_ Tony responded with his usual level of biting sarcasm.

 _"Alex has a point, if that thing gets up to speed, you'll be shredded,"_ Steve agreed and Alex felt a brief wave of relief that she wasn't the only one who could see how suicidal it was. She continued to scan and read through the schematics and features of the carrier, hoping for an out.

"Wait - wait, the stator control unit can reverse the polarity long enough to disengage maglev and that could -"

 _"English!"_ Steve chided and Alex rolled her eyes.

 _"You see that red lever?"_ Tony interjected, mercifully, _"It'll slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it and wait for my word."_

"I like this plan a lot more now we've figured it out. Mostly," Alex admitted as her leg bounced rapidly under the desk. Through force of habit whilst she waited, the brunette found herself chewing on her thumbnail.

From over her shoulder, she heard Fury order a full evacuation of the lower bays. As Hill marched towards the doors to leave, something round and metallic slid across the floor. It barely registered with Alex what it was before the shout of " _GRENADE!"_ followed and another explosion knocked everyone down.

Whilst Fury and Hill neutralised the adversaries that approached, Alex busied herself with getting rid of the ringing that had developed in her ears whilst she waited for an update from Steve and Tony.

 _"The Hulk and Thor on Research Level Four. Level two and three are dark,"_ a voice over the P.A announced and the pit of Alex's stomach bubbled with anxiety.

"Tony, how's it looking out there?" Alex questioned after an uncomfortably long period of silence. More gunfire and roars echoed from below and it only made her growing anxiety worse.

 _"Almost ready,"_ he assured her over the earpiece and the younger brunette relaxed minutely.

"Perfect -" A third explosion flung a techie and plenty of debris across the bridge and for a split-second, Alex thought she'd never get rid of the white-spots that danced across her vision. Several more explosions followed before the monitor she was using went black. The screen began to glitch and Alex noticed the same was happening to the other monitors.

 _"Engine one is now in shutdown_ ," the P.A announced and a sickening lurch in Alex's stomach forced her to swallow back the rising bile. The dark-haired teen dropped to her knees out of the chair and slid across the floor to an ample hiding space below the main platform. Hidden well enough from gunfire.

All too suddenly, the carrier drifted to one side, sending agents and techies sliding across the floors. Alex was certain that she was going to die.

"Tony, we're losing altitude," Alex relayed as she pushed herself to her feet.

 _"Yeah, I noticed,"_ he replied with residual sarcasm. The reassuring sound of his voice calmed her down a fraction as she began helping other agents to their feet and making sure they were alright.

Once the monitors and computers were rebooted, the techies and agents resumed their last-ditch attempt to keep the carrier from falling out of the sky. Panic conversations and garbled commands were shouted left, right and centre. All the noise was making Alex's head hurt.

"Please tell me you're almost done because we're still an engine down," she verbalised over her earpiece and the sound of metal whirring responded.

_"Trust me, Alex I'm working on it."_

_"Cap hit the lever,"_ he finally instructed.

 _"I need a minute here!"_ Steve yelled back and Alex heard the faintest noises of gunfire over the line.

_"Lever, now!"_

"Are you good? Did you do it? Somebody talk to me," Alex demanded when no other voices replied.

 _"Yeah, we're good. In one piece, mostly,"_ the voice of the broad-shouldered blonde replied and Alex let out a sigh of relief. She sat back in her chair and ran a hand over her face.

It became apparent that Loki had fled. With the carrier now free of hostiles, everyone was hellbent on the tidy-up. Everyone pitched in where they could and once Alex was sure that Steve and Tony were safe, she joined in. Whilst part-way through getting seen to by a medic, Fury's voice came through the comms.

 _"Agent Coulson is down."_ Another agent tried to assure him that medical teams were on their way.

 _"They're here. They called it,"_ Fury's solemn reply struck them all. Across the way, Alex noticed Agent Hill, eyes wet with unshed tears. A stab of sorrow shot through Alex's chest and forced her to sit down.

Hours later, once everything was mostly cleaned up, a meeting was called with the remainders of the team. Alex found herself at the glass table with Steve and Tony. Bruce, Nat, Thor and Clint nowhere to be seen.

Tony and Steve were out of their suits. It was strange for Alex to see Steve in just a blue long-sleeved thermal top since becoming accustomed to seeing him in the campy stars and stripes. They both had a few nicks and bruises, but nothing too serious. Alex was battling a mild concussion and slightly bruised ribs, but all-in-all, she could've been worse off.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them," Fury stated before he threw a small stack of paper cards in front of Steve on the table. From her seat opposite, Alex could see the crimson red staining a few of the cards.

"We're dead in the air, up here. Our communications, the location of the Cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. I lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming," the Director admitted with a sigh of defeat. Alex tapped her nails quietly against the glass tabletop.

As Fury began to pace his way around the table, a sombre mood settled on the five of them. Hill was stood by the railings, keeping herself to herself.

"Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract," Fury continued, "I never put all my chips on that number though because I was playing something even riskier." A heavy silence followed.

"There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the _Avengers Initiative_. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died believing in that idea. In heroes," he informed the sulking company. Tony stood up and Alex thought he was going to cause a scene. She braced herself for what might unfold. Instead, he glanced around, breathed out a sigh and left. Walked out without saying a word.

"Well, it's an old-fashioned notion," the Director affirmed in an attempt to soothe the remaining two sat at the table. After that, Fury left. Alex stayed in her seat across from Steve. Unable to take the godawful silence after five minutes, she cleared her throat and sat forward.

"I know I'm pretty out of place here, and Tony had a point earlier about me being a stowaway. But I had to take the chance, y' know? I had to see if the odds were worth the bet. Have you ever done that before, Captain?" A brief pause followed before he drew in a heavy breath.

"Yeah. I understand that I suppose. What's your answer?"

"My answer?" The muscular blonde huffed out half a laugh before he sat a little more upright.

"Are the odds worth the bet?"

"Oh! Well... After today, I think they might be," she admitted with a small nod.

"Really? After all that, you still want in?" He seemed incredulous.

"Does that make me crazy?" she questioned with a chuckle. Alex looked up at Steve from the tabletop and a stray curl fell across her face.

"I don't think there's an adequate enough word to describe what that makes you, Alex." There was a teasing pull of a smile on his lips and it made Alex smile too.

"Coming from you? Must mean something," she teased with a toothy grin before she pushed herself to her feet and out of the comfy leather chair.

"Where are you off to?" Steve replied as he watched her walk around the table.

"Well, until we know where Loki's going to be, I'm going to find Tony, and then I'm taking a serious nap," the young brunette replied humorously. Wordless, Steve followed after her, no doubt wanting to console Tony too. They located him in the detention cell and when they arrived, he was stood at one of the platforms. The space was huge and empty without the container in the middle. A hard-to-read expression had settled on the older brunette.

"Was he married?" Steve's question echoed around the vast space and cut through the silence as he lent up against one of the railings.

"No. There was a cellist, I think," Tony confirmed solemnly, not looking at either of them.

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man."

"He was an idiot," Tony confessed with a startling bluntness that took them both by surprise.

"Why? For believing?" Alex interjected, curious.

"For taking on Loki alone," Tony corrected with a shrug.

"He was doing his job," Steve countered. As it had earlier, a strange tension began brewing between the two men and Alex didn't like it.

"He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should've..."

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony," Steve tried to appease the antsy genius. The three of them moved to meet on one of the encompassing platforms below.

"Right, I've heard that before," he snarked in return and Alex fussed over a chip in her nail.

"Don't argue. Please, not now." Her voice was too quiet to hinder the heated conversation between them and they carried on anyway. Tony started to walk away.

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" There was a neuron-quick change as Tony reeled around and dealt the super-soldier a look to kill.

"We are _not_ soldiers," the billionaire snapped, "I'm not marching to Fury's fife."

"Neither am I. He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. But right now, we gotta put that behind us and _get this done_ ," Steve replied calmly with a shake of his head.

"Loki needs a power source," Alex interjected, not wanting things to blow up as they had before, "If we can put together a list -"

"He made it personal," Tony interrupted shakily.

"That's not the point," Steve retorted, he kept his voice level.

"That is the point. That's _Loki's_ point. He hit us right where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart, I thought," Alex suggested and they both cast a glance of acknowledgement her way.

"Yeah, divide and conquer is great... But he knows he _has_ to take us out to win, right? _That's_ what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it," the genius verbalised, his train of thought becoming a little more coherent with every sentence he spouted.

"He wants an audience?" Alex all but flinched when Tony snapped his fingers in agreement.

"Right, I caught his act in Stuttgart," Steve agreed.

"Yeah, that's just the previews. This is opening night. And Loki, he's a full-tilt diva, right? He wants flowers, he wants parades - he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered..." he trailed off momentarily before it dawned on him "Son of a bitch." Neither of them got the chance to question Tony's rambling as he took off out of the detention cell to the main corridor to find Fury, presumably.

"Is he always like this?" Steve questioned as they jogged to keep up.

"Eccentric? Yeah. Always," Alex affirmed as they carried on after him. Something told her that a plan was being set into motion as they chased after Tony through the helicarrier.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle of New York starts with a bang. Alex is thrown into the thick of the action and gets to see the rest of the team doing their thing, up close and personal. Things go sideways and she has a moment of panic. She has a moment with Nat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild-strong language, canon-typical violence, aliens(? is that a warning?), descriptions of mild panic attack symptoms

**A SHORT WHILE LATER, THEY WERE CLOSING IN ON NEW YORK.** Alex was coming with them, on the premise that she would help redirect civilians to limit casualties. Truthfully, she was just thankful to be let off the carrier. With the time they had left before they touched down, Alex had volunteered to help Tony patch his suit up temporarily.

"Now, you know what your plan is, right?" the older man questioned as he set down the angle grinder to smooth out the last of the scratches and scrapes on the helmet.

"Yeah. As soon as we touch down, I'm going to stay on the quinjet initially. I'll piggyback the biggest broadcasting system to release an emergency evacuation order and then I'll be redirecting civilians out of the way."

"Good, just thought I'd double-check," he mused with a slight grin. In all honesty, she'd never seen him so tense before. As the P.A system announced their proximity to the city, Alex hopped down off the workbench and kissed Tony on the cheek.

"Be safe," she instructed as she caught sight of Clint, Nat and Steve heading to the hangar bay.

"Be smart," he retorted with a final smile at his young prodigy.

" _Pero_ , I'm always smart," Alex remarked in reply as she broke into a jog to catch up with the trio. As they boarded the nearest quinjet, a S.H.I.E.L.D. techie stood up and protested.

"Hey, you guys aren't authorised to be in here -" Steve held up his hand to interject.

"Son, just don't," he warned before setting his shield down and letting Clint take the pilot's chair.

They took off and Tony flew ahead of them. His armour was still worse for wear, but he'd assured her the plan was to stall and get ahold of a fresh suit from the Tower. As they approached in the quinjet a funny feeling settled on Alex. This was real. She was really there, about to do her part to stop an alien invasion.

It seemed obtusely ludicrous.

Aliens. Gods. Magic Cubes that brainwash people.

"Alright, ETA two minutes -" Clint was interrupted by a large, blue beam bursting from the top of Stark Tower. It shot skyward until it seemed to _rip_ a hole in the sky. What came pouring out chilled Alex to the marrow in her bones.

" _Madre mia,_ " she hissed as hundreds - if not thousands _-_ of indistinguishable _things_ came pouring out of the hole in the sky. Those must be the aliens. The closer they got, the more they could see. A couple dozen of the aliens exploded - no doubt courtesy of Tony in a fresh suit. The Chitauri, as Alex remembered someone had called them, descended upon New York City and turned the streets into a battlefield.

Explosions peppered the crowded streets. Even from the air, Alex could hear the panicked screaming. Cars were overturned, buildings felt the bite of the explosions as chunks of brick and concrete rained down. Thor was the first to touch base at the tower, going after Loki as the plan prescribed.

"Alright, think you're ready?" Steve questioned as the jet circled.

"You don't want me to answer that," she remarked with a nervous smile. The young brunette continued to tap and type away, hoping to crack through the firewall to the EBS before they landed.

"Stark, we're on your three, headed northeast," Nat informed Tony as they circled above the city.

 _"What? Did you stop for drive-thru? Swing up Park I'm gonna lay 'em out for you,"_ the billionaire replied and Nat followed his instructions with little hesitation. Alex's stomach coiled as she continued to work on getting an emergency broadcast out. With a glance at the windows of the quinjet, Alex noted they were on the approach to the tower, having taken out the hoard that Tony gave them.

"Nat?" Clint prompted as they righted the jet to face Loki head-on.

"Yeah, I see him." Before the redheaded assassin could shoot, Loki beat them to it. A bright blue beam of light blew up their left-hand jet and sent them spiralling. With the laptop forgotten about, all Alex could do was hold on tight and pray they made a soft landing.

As they neared the ground, Alex was thankful she'd opted to clip herself into the harness that was attached to her seat. Steve grasped at an overhead handle to stop himself from rolling around the back of the quinjet. Unintentionally, Alex held her breath and forced her eyes shut. As soon as they hit the concrete and skidded to a stop, everyone was out of their seats and headed for the door.

"Alex -"

"Stay here, I know!" she assured the spandex-clad super-soldier before waving him out the door frantically. Alex turned back to the laptop, only to have her heart sink to the floor at the sight of it in two separate pieces on the floor. She hurried over and dropped to her knees with hopes of fixing it. After reviewing the broken pieces, however, Alex deemed it a futile effort. She knew that if she could get to Stark Tower she could access what she needed like it was nothing at all. But she'd been given strict instructions to stay put.

"I think these are extenuating circumstances," she assured herself before taking off in a run towards the Tower. Alex made it all of two blocks away from the Tower before a low, metallic growl stopped her in her tracks. She slowed to a stop and looked up.

The portal widened and what Alex could only describe as a Chitauri space whale descended. Followed by another. And another. Half a dozen or so descended from the portal and began to wreak havoc on New York City. Alex shook her head and carried on, she didn't have the time to spare to gawk at gigantic space creatures.

"Labs - I need to get to the labs," Alex verbalised her plan to stop herself from getting overwhelmed as she skidded into the lobby of the Tower. Breathless, she beelined to the elevator and stepped inside. She remembered what floor the relevant lab was on and punched the button with so much force, she momentarily worried she might have fractured her thumb.

Alex wasted no time. The doors were barely open and she forced herself through them before taking off in a sprint towards the computer lab. Outside, she could hear the carnage unfolding and it made her palms slick with sweat. After the anxious teen prised open the lab door, she fumbled to turn on a handful of monitors.

 _"Miss Stark, welcome back,"_ Jarvis greeted and Alex smiled wearily.

"Hey, J. It's good to be back. Any chance you could help me piggyback the EBS for New York City?" she quizzed sarcastically as she furiously tapped away at the keys.

 _"I wish that I could, but my operating systems are currently at half-capacity whilst your father is using his new suit,"_ the AI informed her and she slumped slightly. Not too disheartened by the confession, Alex carried on.

 _"It has come to my attention, however, that your job might be made easier if you look in your father's suit vault."_ Alex stood up, momentarily confused.

"What do you mean, J?"

 _"I can't say exactly, but it wouldn't hurt to look under the 'new wings' file. And I definitely can't point out that Mister Stark built the suit explicitly for you."_ The warm-skinned girl took humour in the AI's efforts and followed his suggestion. The information that tumbled across the screen baffled her. All this time, he'd been hiding this from her. Not that she could blame him, really, when she was known to be impulsive and somewhat reckless.

"Sweet. Thanks, J," Alex regarded the AI a friend and this was further proof. She took off towards the suit vault, electricity danced across her senses. Upon arriving, she hurried to open the vault and find the suit Jarvis had been talking about. Sure enough, near the back, amongst old skeletons of suits, was a shiny, greyish-blue suit.

"Holy shit," she exhaled before plucking it from its space. The metal was smooth and cool to the touch. Alex jolted when it opened up. Marginally hesitant at first, Alex only put her foot inside the shiny new suit. When it didn't try and swallow her whole, she relaxed and stepped fully into _her_ high-tech armour.

 _"Uploading interface and preferences,"_ a female, vaguely Irish voice greeted before the helmet display came to life, glowing a soft neon blue.

"How do I fly this thing?" Alex pondered out loud and immediately regretted doing so when the suit heard her and immediately began moving her. In a panic, she flailed and fumbled before stopping the right way up and hovering a few feet above the ground.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed before testing the waters properly. Alex was quick to learn that Tony had crafted the suit to be overly sensitive but once she grasped the basics, the rest wouldn't be so difficult. Happy with her newfound mode of transport, she left the vault and headed to the nearest exit. Which, unfortunately, happened to be a wall of glass windows.

 _"Civilians are trapped and under heavy fire just after Pershing Bridge,"_ the new AI informed her and as best as she could, Alex took off.

 _This is beyond crazy,_ she mused internally as she approached Pershing Bridge.

"Hey, Spangles, need a hand?" she greeted Steve as he vaulted off the top of an abandoned bus. There was a moment of disbelief before he must've decided this may as well happen.

"Sure. We need to push the civilians back and try to get a perimeter set up."

"Copy that," she confirmed as she flew alongside him. It was a wonder to see; Captain America kicking ass in the streets after 70 years of sleeping in ice.

Between them, they managed to dodge the Chitauri's weapons. The duo wove and ducked as they moved, ushering civilians to follow them. Whether from the adrenaline or the anxiety, Alex's heart was beating ten to the dozen and she felt almost unstoppable. Not too far ahead of them, NYPD had set up a roadblock and had started firing back, though many of the shots did nothing to stop the alien invaders.

Alex and Steve stopped in front of two police officers, who startled at their appearance and reached for their weapons. The blonde and brunette shared a _look_ before issuing their instructions.

"You need men in these buildings," Steve began, gesturing to the buildings in the immediate vicinity, "There are people inside and they're going to be running right into the line of fire. You take them to the basements or through the subway. You keep them off the street." The officers looked unimpressed.

"We need a perimeter as far back as thirty-ninth," Alex added and they both pointed in the general direction.

"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" the one officer fired back, gesturing to the two of them in their current wardrobes. Before either of them could comment in reply, a Chitauri flew around the corner and blew up a car. Two of them came toward Steve and Alex. In a wordless agreement, they both fought them off with relative ease. Though on Alex's part, the suit helped a lot more than she'd ever managed. When they were done, the officer that challenged them turned around and relayed their instructions.

"It's almost like they don't believe we're trying to help," Alex remarked as they circled back around to Nat and Clint who were becoming overwhelmed. Largely from a safe distance in the air, Alex helped out, the pulsars in her hands proved their usage as she blasted through Chitauri adversaries like a twisted arcade game.

As things got dicey, a fork of lightning burst into existence and nearly vaporised the slimy invaders. With a solid _thud_ and the smell of lingering ozone, the group were thankful for Thor's arrival.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve questioned first as they took a moment to breathe and reload.

"The power surrounding the Cube is impenetrable," the Norse God started, breathless and pained.

 _"Thor's right, we got to deal with these guys,"_ Tony chimed in as he flew overhead.

"How do we do this?" Alex posed the question to the whole group as they took in the carnage above them.

"As a team," Cap suggested firmly. As they began to prepare for a second wave, the sound of an approaching motorcycle caught them all off-guard. They were all equally surprised to see Doctor Banner dismount the bike and stumble over to them.

"Stark, we got him." Alex assumed Steve was letting Tony know and the reply he gave only made them all uneasy.

 _"Alright, tell him to suit up, I'm bringing the party to you."_ Tony rounded the corner and the Chitauri space whale was right behind him.

"I don't see how that's a party," Nat mused sarcastically and they all agreed.

"Alright, you go ahead and do your superhero thing. I'm going to get as many people out as possible," Alex informed the company before taking off in a cloud of dust.

 _"By the way, how did you get your hands on that suit?"_ Tony's voice quizzed in her ear and Alex bit back a smirk.

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't go looking for it? Because I didn't."

 _"Yeah and I'm Walt Disney."_ At that, Alex laughed.

She hadn't been looking where she was going. It was a rookie mistake. As she turned a blind corner she slammed straight into a flying Chitauri soldier and sent crashing through the lower level of the nearest building. The tremors from the explosions and the constant battering from outside caused the floor to collapse in on itself.

Alex fell. She went down through the concrete and twisted metal until she met a sudden stop. Everything temporarily went black.

When she forced her eyes open, it became glaringly obvious that she was underneath something. Or rather, a lot of something all piled up on top of her. Panic set in when she tried to sit up, to move her legs. Nothing budged.

_"It appears we're stuck under the rubble. When the flooring collapsed, it brought down a lot more with it. You're suffering a mild concussion and bruised ribs."_

**_Fuck._ **

Alex tried to stay calm. She tried to count her breaths to stop herself from hyperventilating. Nothing worked. Her chest ached and her head pounded. And she was pinned under a couple of tons of concrete.

"Hello?" Her voice broke as she called out. Alex's throat was dry and itchy. The sounds of the fight continuing outside resonated slightly. She could feel every blast and every roar in her chest. She had to get out.

"Hello!?" she yelled louder this time. Loud enough to leave the words echoing in her own ears. After a third futile attempt to move, the tears of frustration stung her eyes. With her dominant hand and arm pinned beneath the rubble and her other arm outstretched and stuck above her head, Alex was utterly helpless.

She wasn't built for conflict. For war. She was just a _kid_.

 _"It's not your time. Not yet."_ Phil Coulson's words rang in her ears and only made the tears sting more as they rolled down her cheeks. Hot, salty tracks of frustration and embarrassment.

"You're not a hero," the brunette sneered at no one else but herself.

"You're not a hero and now you're _fucking_ stuck!" she cried through gritted teeth as she gave her arms another try.

"This was all a mistake. A huge, _huge_ mistake." Alex let out a ragged sob before giving up and letting herself cry. With the pressure sitting on her chest, it didn't last long or she'd run the risk of suffocating.

When she'd stopped crying long enough to catch her breath, Alex bargained with herself one last time. She'd have one last attempt at escaping before she gave up. With a deep breath, Alex closed her eyes and pushed as hard as she could, using all the strength she could muster into shifting some of the debris.

It all seemed to be futile until she opened her left hand and a bright white flash erupted from her palm.

"Holy shit!" It became apparent then, what she must do to get herself out. With a little more optimism than before, she opened both her hands and the pulsars blasted the concrete and metal clear.

 _"What action do you want to take?"_ the AI questioned as she geared up for another wave.

"Put all flight systems on full capacity?" Alex guessed in response and was nigh on delighted when the boots of the suit started up again and the rubble was blasted clear. She shook herself free and took off, not wanting to linger a minute longer. When she rejoined the fight, the suit was battered and busted. In a last-ditch attempt to help she flew herself to the top of Stark Tower, to the roof. She was surprised to see Nat already stood next to the Cube with Selvig.

" - Loki's sceptre, the energy. The Tesseract can't fight, but you can't protect against yourself," the injured Doctor began to explain. Nat and Alex - sans suit - crouched next to him in reassurance.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know what you were doing," Nat soothed as best as she could.

"Actually, I think I did," Selvig replied hoarsely, confusing both Alex and Nat, "I built in a safety switch to cut the power source."

"Loki's sceptre?" Alex questioned, now only in a _Notorious B.I.G_ t-shirt, high-tops and her black ripped jeans.

"It may be able to close the portal," Selvig offered before looking over the edge of the building, "And I'm looking right at it."

Below, the battle still raged on and Alex found herself perched on the very edge, keen to keep an eye on things. Specifically, she wanted to know Tony was alright, first and foremost. Whilst she observed and absorbed, the heavy pressure on her chest still lingered. It was as if she was still buried under the broken concrete. The wind whipped around her face and pulled gently at her dark, unruly waves of hair.

Thankfully, she'd had the foresight to tie it up before she stepped off the helicarrier. Her attention was diverted when a flash of gold and red looped out of sight to her left.

"Hey, Alex, right?" Nat's voice over her shoulder took her by surprise but she turned to face the redhead assassin anyway.

"Yeah."

"I don't think it's such a good idea to be sat on that ledge, y'know. Any sudden collisions or explosions and you're gone." It made sense and Alex didn't argue. She stood up and moved to sit on the gravel, her back to the lip of the roof.

"We're gonna be okay, aren't we?" the younger woman questioned as something exploded off to the side. Nat looked back at her with an uneasy smile.

"You don't want me to answer that," she assured her and Alex felt a twist of discomfort in the pit of her stomach.

"That's the farthest thing from reassuring _or_ comforting. Thanks."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle comes to an end. The team deal with the aftermath and get themselves in order. After the dust has settled, so to speak, Alex makes a bold move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, brief descriptions of panic/anxiety

**ALEX STILL COULDN'T SHAKE THE DISCOMFORT.** The lingering feeling of being trapped pressed close like a damp cloth to the back of her neck. She hated it. Being sat on top of the Stark Tower probably wasn't helping either. The portal was still very much in need of closing or they faced losing their first battle.

Nat had since retrieved Loki's sceptre and Alex was helping Selvig make sense of the monitor attached to the Cube and the portal key.

"Right at the crown!" Selvig instructed with a gesture to where he was referring to. Nat hefted the sceptre and stepped closer to the humming machine. As she pushed the point of the golden sceptre through the forcefield, it became apparent that they could, definitively, close the portal.

"I can close it. Can anyone copy? I can shut the portal down," Nat called over the comms and both women waited for some kind of reply.

 _"Do it!"_ Steve barked.

 _"No, wait,"_ Tony followed immediately after.

_"Stark, these things are still coming."_

_"I got a nuke coming in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute."_ Alex's blood ran cold.

"A nuclear bomb?!"

_"No, a nuclear fish. Yes, a nuclear bomb!"_

_"You know that's a one-way trip,"_ Steve interjected gravely. Alex knew it too. That scared her more than anything.

Alex rushed to find him, to catch any glimpse of the familiar red and gold. Sure enough, fast on the approach, Tony was guiding the missile upwards. Nausea made itself known as Alex watched on in abject horror. As he flew by, Alex was hit by the strong breeze that followed. She fell back on to the gravel and shuffled backwards. With her head thrown back to look skywards, Alex squinted to follow the trail from the back of the missile.

" _Ay, Dios Mio..._ Please let him be okay," she pleaded quietly as Tony climbed higher and higher. Closer to the mouth of the portal.

The resonating explosion of the nuke detonating took everyone by surprise. All around them, the Chitauri stopped and dropped to the floor. Lifeless. Defeated. But Alex couldn't celebrate yet. Not until she knew Tony was okay.

Everyone watched. Baited breaths. Pounding pulses in their ears. Desperate, silent pleas for him to be alright.

 _"Close it_. _"_ Steve's order didn't quite sink in. Alex ripped her earpiece out and kept her gaze fixated on the portal. She prayed to every God, every deity she could recall.

_If you're even out there, let him live._

Alex waited. And waited. Nat killed the portal. The cosmic hole in the sky started to close up. Then, with all traces of the portal gone, she spotted a falling shape. Red and gold. He wasn't flying. He wasn't even _moving_.

"He's not slowing down," Alex realised in horror as she watched Tony's falling body gain momentum. Before she could call out for help, Hulk launched himself into the sky and caught him. He slid down the side of the nearest building and landed with an almighty _thud_ on the ground below.

Alex wasn't one for running. But twice in one day, she found herself flat-out _sprinting_ to get somewhere. As she ran towards Hulk, Steve, Thor and Tony, her mind was also running a mile a minute. She skidded to an abrupt stop next to Steve and Thor. Tony was laid out on the floor, motionless. The suit's eyes were dark.

Thor pulled the front of his helmet off and cast it aside. Nothing. He looked peaceful, though. Sick to her stomach, Alex dropped to her knees. She couldn't bear thinking of losing him so soon after coming into his life. Hulk gave a near-deafening roar and Tony startled awake.

"What the hell?" the genius blurted out with a startled gasp. Teary-eyed, Alex let out a watery laugh of relief.

"What just happened?" Tony questioned as he looked between the four of them, "Please tell me nobody kissed me." At this, everyone let out a wry laugh. Alex was finally able to breathe properly as Thor held out a hand for her to take. With little effort, he helped Alex to her feet.

"We won," Steve informed him as he sat back on his heels. It seemed too good to be true, but they'd done it.

"Alright, yay! Hurray. Good job, guys," Tony congratulated them half-heartedly. His usual sarcasm seeped in little by little.

"Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day -" he continued with a grunt "- Have you ever tried shawarma? There's shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I want to try it." Alex laughed at his rambling and shook her head. nothing had changed.

"We're not finished yet," Thor stated simply with a nod to the tower.

"And then shawarma after." Tony phrased it as less of a suggestion but more of a command.

"C'mon, old man, you heard the God," Alex teased before she reached down to help him up. With assistance from Steve, they managed it. Then they trekked back to the Tower. Aching. Sore. Battered and bruised. But victors nonetheless.

Back inside the Tower, Loki attempted to crawl up the steps and towards the door. His plans of escape were thwarted when he turned and took in the sight of all seven of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder against him. The trickster God deflated and resigned against the steps.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."

**-/-/-**

The next day, the media had gone wild with coverage about the events of the attack. Many thought the Avengers were heroes. Others weren't so comforted by their presence in the world. Now that things were started to get cleaned up, it was time to say goodbye to Thor and his galaxy-travelling brother.

Alex was just grateful to have escaped with nothing more than a few cuts, bruises and a mild concussion. Everyone else seemed to be alright now that they were patched up and on the mend.

Even though she wasn't officially a part of the team, Alex insisted she joined Tony in saying farewell. She accompanied him in one of his many flamboyant sports cars to the agreed meeting point. She was dressed in clean, casual clothes. An _N.W.A_ t-shirt, fresh black ripped jeans, but the same pair of battered Converse high-tops. With the slight chill in the air now fall was on the approach, she'd also opted for an oversized flannel to cover her arms.

"I'll be glad to see him go," Tony stated as they pulled up and climbed out. Tony had the Cube in a secured briefcase for transport. Not that Alex believed Thor would need it in the briefcase for a second.

Selvig arrived with a container to put the Cube in. With some help from Banner, they transferred the Cosmic trouble-maker into an Asgardian-friendly travel cylinder. Then it became time for the goodbyes.

"It's been an honour meeting you, Young Stark. Your help was truly appreciated," the Norse God praised with a warm smile. Alex couldn't help but smile back.

"Anytime. Don't forget to write, hm?" she teased in reply and earned a hearty laugh. The blonde deity put a large hand on her shoulder.

"You'll do great things. I can _feel_ it." He moved on and said his farewells to the others, but the words stuck to Alex like velcro.

When he was done saying goodbye, they activated the Cube and disappeared in a flash of blue. Then it became time for everyone else to say goodbye. For now at least. As Tony started to walk back to the car, Alex had one last goodbye to give. She hurried over to Steve and tapped him on the shoulder. The super-soldier turned and was surprised, to say the least, that it had been her.

"Alex?"

"Hi," she chirped back awkwardly. The young brunette wrung her fingers together before clearing her throat.

"I wasn't meant to be here, this week. I only got involved because I forced my way in. But I'm glad I did," she began, fumbling to find the right words.

"Well, I'm glad you did. You really helped out, Alex. What you did took a lot of guts, don't forget that," he stated smoothly with a nod. Alex swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath.

"I won't! Thank you. I think I also have the guts to ask you out for coffee? If that's something you do nowadays?" The question came out stilted and it was a wonder he understood what she'd said. Alex could only look up at Steve with a hopeful expression. Steve sighed and let his shoulders drop slightly. The Puerto Rican teen immediately prepared herself to get shot down brutally.

"Alex, listen, you're a smart girl. There's no doubt about it. You're one of the smartest people I've ever met, aside from Tony. It's just -"

"I'm too young?" she guessed and Steve let out an awkward laugh.

"You still have a lot of things left to figure out. Who you want to be, what you want to do with regards to the team. I don't want to step on that," the broad-shouldered blonde stated gently, not wanting to salt the wound.

"So, you just categorically told me I need to grow up to stand a chance with you?"

"No - No, it's not like that, I swear. I just think you need to figure these things out first. Then, maybe, we can get coffee," he bargained, in hopes of easing the blow. Alex pursed her lips and nodded slowly.

"I can work with that. Give me four months," she bartered in response, a devilish grin grew across her features and Alex noticed a flash of hesitation in Steve's eyes.

"To do what?"

"Figure my shit out. I gotta go, but it was fun working with you," Alex admitted before going in for a handshake. Steve obliged and waved her off.

"I'll see you around then?" he called after her.

"Not if I see you first, Spangles," the young woman replied over her shoulder with a deviant smirk. As she climbed into the back of Tony's car, she waved to the super-soldier who waved back whilst he swung a leg over his motorbike.

"Did you promise to be penpals?" Tony teased over the music and the wind. Alex rolled her eyes and Bruce shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat.

"Has anyone ever told you, you're hilarious?" she shot back and Tony chuckled.

"Only every day." They were dropping Bruce off at the airport, so they carried on past the Tower. Alex sat back and let the wind run its fingers through her dark, wily hair. Classic rock was blasting from the car radio as they sped through the streets, despite Bruce's protests that he was driving unnecessarily fast.

"That's pretty much the only way he knows how to drive, Doctor Banner. I'd get used to it if I were you," she informed the nervous Doctor before she settled back into her seat. The sky was speckled with clouds but was a calming shade of blue as far as the eye could see.

After they'd parted ways with Bruce at the airport, Alex climbed into the front passenger seat. They pulled away and Alex held her hand just outside the door. She let her fingers dance in the wind that whipped by. There was a strange, contented feeling that settled on her as they headed back into the thick of the city. She'd survived. She'd stood alongside _Earth's Mightiest Heroes_ and they'd won. That wasn't something Alex could've predicted, let alone believed that it would happen.

As they returned to the Tower, Alex noticed that, strategically, the only letter left on the top of the building was an _**A**. _

"Y' know what? I kinda like it," she admitted as they headed inside. In light of the battle, Tony had decided to completely renovate the inside of the Tower. He mentioned giving each team member their own private floor for when they were called out together and needed a _"halfway house of sorts"._

"Good, because you're helping me redesign and renovate," Tony quipped as they stepped into the elevator. The entire ride to the penthouse, Alex couldn't stop smiling.

"Employing my help? Now that's a first," Alex teased as the floors ticked away. In retaliation, Tony jabbed at her side and made her squeal before bursting into laughter.

"After that whole ordeal we just went through, you're gonna stand there and slander my good name?" he continued to poke and prod, eliciting fits of laughter from his young prodigy.

"Yeah! I am!" she gasped in reply as he proceeded to render her speechless with laughter. Uncontrollable tears of joy rolled down her cheeks as she tried to fight him off.

"Stop - stop! Tony, I'm gonna pee!" Alex exclaimed in futility before he finally eased off her and let her catch her breath. The doors slid open and they were greeted with a confused Pepper.

"You would _not_ believe how chaotic this week has been," Alex greeted before rushing at the redhead for an overdue hug.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months later, the Tower is nearly finished and Alex has kept to her word. A party filled with New York’s biggest and brightest is intimidating for the young prodigy, but she attends anyway. She had no idea how quickly things could fall apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, kidnapping, forced drug use, thinly-veiled remarks about Alex’s age

**RENOVATIONS ON THE TOWER WERE ALMOST DONE.** Alex had been helping out as much as Tony would allow her to and there was a renewed vigour in her that she hadn't felt in quite some time. The Battle of New York had been almost four long months ago. All but a distant memory. For the most part.

If Alex said she'd come out of it unscathed, she'd be lying. Being pinned beneath the rubble in that partially-collapsed building had terrified her. Most nights she woke up gasping for air and kicking her legs furiously. If she thought about it too much, she could still feel the ache in her ribs and the ebb in the back of her skull as she lay beneath the debris.

"Hey, Squirt, you ready for the afternoon shift?" Tony quizzed as he returned with a drink in each hand.

"Sure." Alex accepted the bottle of vitamin water from Tony and cracked it open.

In the time she'd spent helping Tony and Pepper with the renovations and the decorating, Alex had also stayed true to her word. The once soft and non-threatening brunette had started to shape up. Alex had shed a few pounds in favour of bulking out more. There was still a long way to go before she was on par with the likes of Black Widow, but she was happy with her progress.

As the two of them slowly made their way back to painting the far wall, Alex's phone began to ring in the pocket of her old gym shorts. She cast an apologetic glance at Tony before signalling to the phone.

"I gotta take this," she insisted before stepping into the corridor. Alex rested against the cool wall and accepted the call.

"Hello?"

_"Hi, is this Miss Alex Stark?"_

"This is she. Who's calling?"

_"I'm Rita Mayweather from Vanity Fair -"_

"How did you get this number? This is an unlisted, _private_ number," the brunette interrupted and partially crossed her arms.

_"Ha, yeah. So anyway, I was hoping we could get an -"_

"No. Absolutely not. Sorry, but you're wasting your time. Goodbye," she hung up with an overly-sweet voice before sighing and rolling her eyes. With her phone firmly returned to her pocket, Alex returned to the room, where she found Tony pouring out more paint.

"Why is it, you hire dozens of people to do this professionally for every other room in this Tower, and yet you wanted to paint this room yourself. I thought you despised physical labour that didn't revolve around your suits?" the young girl queried as she plucked up a paint roller and dipped it in the warm magenta hue.

"First of all, that's a wildly disproportionate _lie_ and we have a no-lies rule, remember? Secondly, I asked you to paint this room with me because it's going to be yours." Alex whipped around, eyes wide in disbelief.

"You mean - I'm gonna -"

"Live here, yeah. Figured that it'd make sense since you're now a probationary member of the team." Blinded with excitement, Alex rushed forward and tackled Tony into a hug. It was obviously an unexpected reaction but after a moment of being stood rigid, Tony eased into the hug and reciprocated as best as he could.

"So, I'm gonna like - I'm gonna train with you guys and accompany you on missions and stuff? Like, is that how this works now?!"

"No, no - I said _probationary,_ as in, you're going to have to prove yourself a necessary part of the team before you actually get an official role. But for all intents and purposes, yes, you're an Avenger," he explained to the over-excited teenager who was still stood with her arms wrapped firmly around his torso.

"Thank you. Thank you! God, that's so exciting! Let's finish this room!" Alex exclaimed excitedly before she separated herself from the slightly overwhelmed Tony. In what felt like record speed, the two of them continued to paint the room from top to bottom in the rich magenta pigment. Whilst working on opposite sides, a devious idea came to mind.

As quietly as she could, Alex moved across the tarp-clad floor and ran her brush down Tony's back. The cool temperature must've taken him by surprise because he yelped and spun around to face her with a bemused expression.

"Did you just -?"

"Yeah, I did," his giggling daughter confirmed with a nod. Alex barely had time to catch her breath before Tony lunged at her with his own paint roller outstretched in her direction. For fifteen minutes they chased each other and threw paint at one another. Purely childish behaviour, but entertaining nonetheless.

"Alright, already! I surrender!" Alex exclaimed through a fit of laughter as she tried to bat away Tony's freshly dipped paint roller. Magenta paint covered most of their skin and clothes. They knew that it would take nigh-on endless soap and hot water to scrub themselves clean later, but they didn't seem to care.

"Good because my arms were starting to get tired," Tony joked as he stepped back and dropped the paint roller on to the long-forgotten tray at their feet. Alex straightened up and gave herself a once-over. Very little unstained skin remained.

" _Dios Mio_ , look at the mess you've made!" she exclaimed with a bright smile as she shook the excess paint off her hands.

"Technically, this is your fault. You started it," he countered with a pointed gesture in her direction. Alex had a hard time taking him seriously in his current state and the stifled giggles that escaped her mouth were clue enough.

"I'm sorry! But how do you expect me to take you seriously looking like _that_?"

"Alright, you've made your point. The decorating can wait until tomorrow now - go get cleaned up," Tony instructed whilst trying to wipe the paint off his hands with a spare rag, though it had already dried and wasn't coming off without a fight.

"But dinner's not for _hours_ yet, what's the rush?"

"We're hosting a party tonight, something Pepper's commissioned through the company. There's a dress on your bed, accessorise however you want, but you need to wear the dress," Tony instructed as he picked off flakes of paint from his hands and wrists. Alex wanted to protest the idea of her wearing a dress, but she thought better of it.

"Fine, but you owe me for wearing a dress!" she countered as she all but marched to the door.

Once back in her temporary room, Alex didn't hesitate to head straight for the bathroom. As the door shut behind her she pulled her t-shirt over her head in one fluid motion, quickly followed by her shorts, socks and underwear. All the paint-stained garments were dropped into the nearest hamper and Alex connected her phone to her waterproof speaker. Immediately, her 90s playlist started vibrating across the tiled walls.

As the sounds of Boyz II Men serenaded her, Alex used a sizeable dollop of body wash on her blue loofa to start scrubbing at the dark pink that stained her honeyed skin. The aching teen scrubbed and lathered her skin for what felt like an eternity, she watched magenta swirl down the drains in hypnotic and asymmetrical circles.

When the majority of the paint was gone and no traces remained that would be seen whilst she wore the dress, Alex decided to indulge herself a little and have a full-on shower. By the time she was done and had stepped out of the delightfully hot water, she was paint-free and smelt of coconut and macadamia oil. In the condensation covered mirror, she used her hand to wipe away a portion of the steamed-over surface.

Her cheeks seemed sharper. Her hair was a little more unruly, even wet and slicked back off her face. The freckles across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks were more noticeable. Alex blinked the water out of her eyes and shook her head to stop herself from scrutinising her reflection any further.

Music still played as she brushed her teeth and went through her post-shower routine. As Boyz II Men poured their souls into _End of The Road_ , Alex began applying a socially-acceptable amount of makeup. Light enough to look natural, but just enough to cover the circles under her eyes and the slit in her eyebrow that hadn't grown back after she got cut during the Battle of New York.

" _Although we've come, To the end of the road..._ " the brunette sang along quietly as she lined her top and bottom waterlines. By the time the ballad ended, _Dilemma_ by Nelly and Kelly Rowland came in and brightened up the atmosphere in the bathroom. Alex bobbed her head and hummed along as she moved on to her mascara and eyeshadow.

When she was satisfied with how she'd done, she took up her hairdryer and diffuser attachment. The music continued to keep her entertained as Alex dried her hair and styled it in a way that was comfortable and required minimal hairspray. Every so often she'd stop to sing along into her hairdryer or have a brief dance break whilst the songs bounced off the smooth, tiled walls.

"Jarvis?"

_"Yes, Miss Stark?"_

"How long have I got until people start arriving?"

 _"Guests are scheduled to start arriving in approximately forty-five minutes, Miss Stark,"_ the AI informed her and it surprised Alex that she'd been getting ready for so long.

"Thank you, J."

 _"Of course."_ With a strange spring in her step, the brunette Puerto Rican exited the bathroom and for the first time that evening, she saw the dress she was expected to wear. It was nothing like she had anticipated. The dress was a two-piece set in a lush wine red, decorated with glitzy rhinestones. Hesitantly, Alex reached out to touch the skirt and found it to be a soft chiffon-type of material that was light enough to float down gently when she released it.

"Wow, that's pretty," Alex verbalised as she took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself to try it on. Alex considered herself to be above wearing dresses. She hated how exposed they made her feel. The general lack of support and comfort in wearing a dress is what made her prefer jeans and t-shirts as formal attire.

Surprisingly, the dress was comfortable. It superseded Alex's expectations and she almost admitted to herself that she found it to be a pleasant experience. The deep red colour complemented the warm tones of her skin and in the mirror, Alex could've sworn that she was glowing ever so slightly. Overcome with good feelings.

"Knock, knock," Tony called from behind the door. With a slight spring in her step, Alex crossed the room and opened the door with a bright smile.

"Well, look at you!" he exclaimed in surprise with a gesture to his young prodigy. Alex shook her head and tried to wave him off but he refused to let it go.

"I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress. Who are you and what have you done with Alex the Greasemonkey?" the older man teased as Alex rolled her eyes playfully.

" _Gracioso,_ " Alex quipped in reply as she reached into one of the boxes that contained some of her shoes and didn't stop rummaging until she came up with her Converse low-tops.

"Yeah, I know I am." They both laughed at the shared sarcasm before Tony stepped closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders and caught her full attention.

"Don't tell Pepper I told you, but you don't have to stay at the party all night. If you get an hour in and decide you're done, that's totally cool, you can hide up here, I'll get someone to bring food up for you..." The sudden sincerity coming from Tony took Alex by surprise but she appreciated it.

"Thank you." Was all she could muster in reply.

"I know it's all still a bit new and overwhelming. No ones gonna hold it against you if you don't want to be surrounded by masses of people." To Alex's ears, there was a deeper, unspoken meaning to his words, but she didn't want to dig too far into it.

"I really appreciate that. Thanks," she assured him with a curl of a smile on her lightly glossed lips.

"I'll see you down there, Alex." With a brief hug and a kiss planted carefully on the top of her head, Tony turned and headed to the door. When he was gone and the door had shut with a satisfying _click_ , Alex perched on the end of the bed. Her chest began to squeeze and she forced herself to take a few deep breaths.

The antsy brunette shook off the nerves as best as she could before she found her phone and decided to head down early. The corridor was considerably cooler than her room and as she stepped into the elevator, she took the time to lean back against the cool metal walls. In contrast to her heated skin, the cold metal almost stung. Alex didn't have time to linger on her sudden mood drop before the doors slid open to reveal the 'party floor' as Tony had dubbed it. A few early-bird guests mulled around and mingled occasionally.

"Alex!" Pepper's voice caught her attention and she was pulled into a hug by the redhead, "You're a little early, do you want to help me finish setting up?" Alex couldn't say no to Pepper. She couldn't. It was just a fact that she had grown to accept.

"Sure." She followed along behind the older woman as they approached a long table that was almost full to bursting with food. Appetisers of all varieties. The plethora of aromas made Alex swallow thickly. Nausea settled in the pit of her stomach. Food was _not_ on her agenda tonight.

"I just need help stacking these glasses, I tried to do it myself but I don't have a light enough touch," Pepper explained and Alex just nodded along. As she watched Pepper demonstrate how she wanted to stack the champagne glasses, a pounding ache made itself known at the back of Alex's skull.

"So, who's going to be here tonight?" the teen questioned as she precariously balanced the glasses the way she'd been shown.

"Oh, all sorts of people. It's a _Stark Industries_ and affiliates kind of party. People in STEM, mechanics, engineers, academics. Celebrities, possibly," she informed the young girl.

"Wow... Cool. None of the team is going to be here, are they?" Alex hadn't meant to sound so disheartened, but the idea of having a few familiar faces around seemed more comforting when compared with the pointed looks and not-so-subtle jabs she'd no doubt receive from tonight's crowd.

"No, honey, I don't think so. Sorry."

"Don't sweat it, I guess I'll find some other way of occupying myself," she stated with a tight-lipped smile in hopes of throwing Pepper off her disappointment.

When the glasses were stacked and secured, Alex was left to roam the space. It had been one of the first rooms to be redecorated and it certainly showed. Everything was even newer and shinier than before, which was saying something.

Eventually, it was open doors and the rest of the guests started to arrive over the following hour. Alex had found a comfortable seat near the balcony on a low-slung leather chair. A virgin tequila sunrise was grasped loosely in her hand and rested against her knee. From her sedentary position, she could observe and _judge_ the guests that arrived.

Almost two hours in and Tony finally appeared. Dressed in his sharpest suit, his hair lightly styled and a Gatsby-esque air about him, he drifted through the crowds of people. He shook hands, kissed cheeks, exchanged comments with as many people as he could before he stopped at the bar and received a tumbler of Scotch.

"It's ridiculous," a voice stated off to her right. Confused, Alex sat up and turned to face the mystery speaker. She guessed that he was a few years older than her, based on the subtle 5 o'clock shadow on his face and the glass of what she presumed to be alcohol in his ring-clad hand.

"What is?" she humoured him and stood up. Her phone was in her free hand but she ignored it for a moment to engage in conversation with this stranger.

"The way he comes in after the party's already started, strutting around like some kind of absurd peacock." Alex didn't take kindly to his attitude and the expression on her face must've said as much.

"Don't tell me, you're his daughter?" he winced as he posed the question and Alex nodded curtly.

"Yeah. I am. Riddle me this -"

"Markus."

"Riddle me this, _Markus_ , why come to one of Tony's parties if you don't like him?" Markus let out an awkward laugh before he cleared his throat and prepared his answer.

"Entertainment. Where else am I going to see New York's biggest and brightest embarrass themselves, if not at one of Tony Stark's parties?"

"Whilst that's a noble answer, I'm sure, you're kind of barking up the wrong tree, pal," Alex stated simply before she patted him on the shoulder and began to walk away. She made it all of three-foot before a hand on her wrist spun her around.

"I'm sorry. I've already had a few drinks and I tend to get a little loose-lipped."

"I can tell. Look, Markus, you seem like you might be good fun any other time, but I'm really not in the mood for small talk with a stranger and no alcohol. I'm leaving -"

"Why no alcohol?"

"Because I'm eighteen?" she replied and it came out as more of a question than she had intended. This seemed to take Markus by surprise.

"Eighteen? No way. I thought you were at least old enough to _drink_. You just might be the youngest person I speak to tonight." There was something that Alex was clearly missing as she got herself free from Markus' grip on her wrist.

"Why did you think I was older?" She couldn't help it. Curiosity killed her cat.

"Well, first of all, the articles I've read about you do _not_ do you justice. Second, you're way more mature than any other eighteen-year-old I've met. That dress certainly helps your case," he added with a nod at the two-piece item of clothing she'd become fond of until that moment.

"Thank you, I guess." there was little in the way to disguise the confusion. There was something off about him, but Alex couldn't put her finger on it.

"No problem. Hey, you look like you could use a fresh drink and I need a refill. Why don't you hang here and I'll take care of it?" Alex seemed to have no say in the matter as he plucker her glass from her hands and sauntered off to the bar. A glance at her phone told her that she was nearing the three-hour mark now. Something about Markus - that vaguely attractive but unusual stranger - set off a panic in Alex. Uncomfortable heat grew in her cheeks and across the back of her neck. The voices of small-talking adults became overpowering.

All the sounds and smells made it hard for Alex to breathe. In an overwhelming desire to leave, she dashed to the balcony. The night air was cool against her flushed skin and as she took several deep breaths, she tried to focus on anything else that wasn't the party that carried on without her.

_Breathe, Mija._

With a white-knuckle grip on the balcony railing, Alex counted her breaths until the discomfort began to pass. Surely, she had no reason to be sceptical of Markus and his intentions? He was just a nice guy trying to make idle conversation to pass the time.

Something still didn't sit right with her, even after she tried to rationalise her feelings and thoughts. Over her shoulder, Alex heard the squeak of the glass door opening. Before she could turn and see who it was that had found her, an arm wrapped itself around her waist, whilst a large hand clamped down over her mouth. The leather glove on the hand that covered her mouth was vaguely sweet-smelling, but in the same vein as disinfectant, not confectionary.

Alex fought, she kicked and thrashed to get out of the vice-like hold, but it was futile. Her vision started to darken and everything seemed to go blurry. Panic set in as her lungs burned and a sharp pinch on the side of her neck alerted her to the fact she'd been injected with _something_.

"That's it, nice and easy... Relax," a voice cooed in her ear. Alex was too disorientated to work out who it was and as her limbs grew heavier, she found it harder to fight back. The last thing she saw was the shining lights of New York City below her before she blacked out completely.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex finds herself in a precarious situation. She must learn to adapt and overcome this obstacle or die trying. A shocking revelation makes things even more complicated. Dreams of home are her only comfort as reality sets in. A potential friend is made with the cell opposite hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): forced drug/sedative use, mild language, vomit, descriptions of a panic attack, flashbacks to minor injury/blood

**ALEX WOKE WITH A RAGGED GASP FOR AIR.** She was in a small room. The floor beneath her was cold and slightly damp. Bare concrete. There was a makeshift cot opposite her and the fourth wall was made up entirely of long, vertical bars.

Her stomach cramped and churned. She had a moment's notice before she lurched to the side and wretched. The minimal contents of her stomach forced their way out of her body before she could make sense of what happened. Alex tried to spit out the lingering taste of bile before she pushed herself to her feet. It was then that she noticed she was barefoot. She was still in her dress from the party, but her watch and phone were gone.

"H- Hello?" she called out as she approached the cell door. Her hands wrapped around the wrought iron bars and her voice echoed down the dimly lit corridor.

"Hello!?" Her throat was dry and yelling hurt, but she did it all the same. Alex refused to panic. Not yet at least. With a surge of energy, she tried to pull and shake the bars. The metal groaned and protested, but didn't budge.

"Hey! Is anyone there?!" Only silence followed.

"Give up," a voice in the cell opposite suggested gruffly and took Alex by surprise. The faint rattling of what Alex assumed to be, shackles rang in her ears and the stranger stepped up to their own cell door. The air in Alex's lungs disappeared. It was a boy no older than she was. His face was a mosaic of bruises and cuts. He had soft, tawny-blonde hair and golden-brown eyes.

"Oh my God - are you alright?"

"It looks worse than it is. Don't worry, they only do this if you don't obey the rules," he joked sharply and Alex's heart sank for the poor kid across from her.

"How long have you been here?"

"Beats me. I lost count after a couple of weeks. All the days roll into one, never-ending blur. You'll get used to that." A sour taste settled in Alex's mouth as she moved to the right, to be closer to the mystery boy in his cell only a few feet away.

"What's your name?" she questioned softly as she rested against the cold, steel bars.

"I used to be _Ben_..." he mused with a nostalgic smile.

"What do you mean 'used to be'?" Alex frowned and the boy just chuckled harshly.

"They change your name after... They call me _Icarus_ now," he stated with a bitter sting to his words. Alex tried to piece together what it all meant and make sense of the information she was being told.

"Who's _they_? What did they change your name after?"

"Wow, you sure do ask a lot of questions for someone that _just_ got kidnapped," Ben scathed and Alex shrugged it off, "They are the people that run this place. You get to keep your name until you develop your powers, then you get your new name." His explanation made Alex's blood run cold in her veins.

"Powers? As in, they conduct _human experiments_ and you get superpowers?"

"Yeah. It's exactly as it sounds. And once you've got your name and powers, they begin to train you to use them properly. Of course, not everyone develops powers." As Ben's words sunk in, Alex feared she might throw up again. What fresh Hell had she set herself up for?

"What happens to the ones that don't?" Ben thought about it for a disturbingly long time before he cleared his throat and answered.

"I'm not sure, but they don't come back. They get dragged out of their cells and never seen again." Before Alex could ask any more questions, footsteps approached. Ben retreated into the shadows of his cell and Alex moved to make herself look less conspicuous. It was Markus and a shorter, bulkier woman with her hair scraped back into a ponytail.

"Good, you're awake. For a while, I was worried that I'd O.D'd you." Alex offered a sneer in reply with a mocking laugh before she squared up to them. She got as close to the bars as she could physically manage.

"I don't play the arrogance card very often but I'm going to milk the shit out of it now. You know who I am, so why risk kidnapping me?" Markus chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Sweetheart, the reason we kidnapped you is _because_ of who you are. It just so happened that it took us a couple of years longer than we initially hoped."

"But we got you and now it's your turn," the woman concluded and Alex noted the European accent.

"You're making a huge mistake. If you just let me out and take me back to New York, I won't tell anyone about this _very_ illegal operation you're running -" She was cut off by a harsh hand reaching through the bars and wrapping itself firmly around her throat. Taken aback and gasping for air, Alex clawed and scratched at Markus' wrist.

"You're never going back to New York. Understand? That's not your life anymore. We've waited almost three whole years for this moment. We're going to enjoy it while you're still alive." When he let her go, Alex stumbled backwards and coughed, her throat sore from the unwanted pressure.

"You're a sick son of a bitch," the brunette hissed as the woman shoved folded clothes through the small hatch in the middle of the door.

"Get changed. Make yourself at home." With a cruel laugh, the pair left and Alex sunk on to the cot. With every passing second, she found it harder to breathe as it sunk in that this wasn't a twisted nightmare. She wasn't going to wake up in a cold sweat in her bed - her _real_ bed in New York.

" _Dios..._ Shit," she cursed as she felt the impending panic attack build in her chest. Her throat was horrifically dry and tears forced themselves into the corners of her whiskey-brown eyes.

_Breathe, Mija._

"I can't," Alex gasped sharply and winced at the stabbing pain in her chest. As she fought to catch her breath, the tears rolled down her cheeks and her hands became slick with sweat.

 _A couple of years longer._ Suddenly, she was thrown back to that day in the car with her mother, driving to Malibu.

_It'll buy you a couple more years at least._

" _Santa mierda_ ," she gasped as she fought off a sob. The puzzle began to piece itself together. Alex still didn't understand what the puzzle was, but for now, at least, she'd aligned a few more of the pieces to see another part of the bigger picture.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ben's voice echoed in her ears and offered a fraction of grounding.

"No - no I'm not," she spat in reply as she pressed the heel of her hand into her chest in hopes of ebbing the sharp pain in her lungs. Alex winced as she sobbed and another jolt shot through her chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm having a _fucking_ panic attack! That's what's wrong!" Alex barked back and her harsh words ricocheted back against the cell walls. Her vision blurred with tears that rolled in hot tracks down her cheeks. Alex wiped at her eyes frustratedly, not caring that she'd probably smeared the remains of her mascara and eyeshadow across her face. There were more important things to focus on than a bit of ruined makeup.

"You never told me your name?" the boy across the corridor prompted and Alex tried to calm down enough to tell him. It took what felt like an eternity before the words finally crawled their way out of her throat.

"Alex," she replied through stilted breaths.

"That's a nice name. You got a family, Alex?"

"Yeah... Kinda -" she sniffed and straightened up slightly "- It's just been Tony and me for the last couple of years. And the woman he's head over heels for but is too chicken to admit it." She heard the youthful boy laugh quietly and that seemed to help calm her down.

"Who's Tony? Wait - oh my God, as in _Tony Stark_? Is he your father?" Alex cursed under her breath when she realised she'd let it slip.

"Yep, that's who he is," she confirmed before she cleared her throat and dried her eyes.

"Well, that's great!"

"It is?"

"Yeah! Alex, half the world knows who you are, you're gonna make it out of here," he assured her and she silently appreciated that sentiment.

"You really think so?" She sniffed and wrung her fingers together in her lap.

"I _know_ so."

Eventually, Alex had been able to stave off the panic attack and, with words of encouragement from Ben, managed to swap out her dress for the deep purple coloured uniform. It wouldn't surprise Alex if they were once actual prison uniforms, with how they were stitched together and the way they felt against her skin. In the recesses of her cell, Alex had begun to be accustomed to the shadows that filled most of the small space.

"Ah, good, your uniform fits," the short and sturdy woman observed as she stepped into Alex's line of sight again. The brunette teen crossed over to the cell door and looked into the older woman's eyes. They were icy grey and stared right back at her.

"Tomorrow, you begin trials. Now, it's time for bed. Go to sleep. You have a long day tomorrow." Alex nodded, for once in her life, the overwhelming desire to make a snappy remark didn't make itself known. She was grateful for that much, at least.

As best as she could, Alex made her self _almost_ comfortable on the steel-framed bed that was bolted to the floor. The hallways echoed and groaned outside her cell. It was a far cry from her bed in New York and as she shuffled around on to her side to face the rough-hewn stone wall. A solitary tear tracked its way down her face and dripped off the end of her nose.

_"Ay, cabrón," Alex hissed as she dropped the half-opened can of soup. The contents spilt all over the floor and up the cupboard doors. Bright scarlet droplets of blood rolled down Alex's index finger and into her palm as she struggled to keep it from dripping on to any of the surfaces._

_"Who let you use that kind of language, hm?" Tony's voice was teasing, but it soon turned to concern when he noticed the mess._

_"What happened?" Alex sighed and conceded to tell him the truth._

_"I was going to surprise you with some soup - Pepper told me you were starting to get sick and I wanted to do something nice. I'm really sorry about the mess a-and the -"_

_"Alex, kid don't worry about it. Accidents happen," he soothed the visibly upset teen and reached for the necessary cleaning products. It didn't stop her bottom lip from trembling and the tears threatening to fall._

_When he'd finished cleaning up the soup, Tony took notice of the fact that she was bleeding. The palm of Alex's hand was almost full of copper-scented crimson. Tony patted the nearest countertop in a silent instruction for Alex to take a seat. Awkwardly, she hopped up on to the cool surface with one hand to avoid wiping blood everywhere._

_"I appreciate the effort, Alex. It's the thought that counts, right?" She nodded wordlessly and watched as he set off, cleaning up the excess blood with a fresh dishrag from the cleaning cupboard._

_"I guess. You're not mad?" The idea that he wasn't angry with her in at least some degree seemed to be an impossibility in Alex's mind._

_"Why would I be mad?"_

_"Well... Because I made a mess and I cut myself - "_

_"Did you do it on purpose?" Alex shook her head and cleared her throat._

_"No."_

_"Then why would I be mad? It was an accident. And even if it wasn't, it's soup." She was comforted by the notion that he wasn't going to freak out over the mess and her injury._

_"Alright, this might sting a little," he warned as he broke out an alcohol wipe and gave her a moment to prepare herself._

_Alex winced at the contact. It was cold and **burned** more than it stung, but she didn't vocalise that. She chewed on the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying. When he was done and had discarded the wipe, a band-aid was retrieved from the first aid box and ripped open almost expertly._

_"I don't think you're gonna need stitches. And you definitely don't need your finger amputating, so I'd say that's crisis averted," Tony joked as he wrapped the band-aid around her index finger and stuck it down so it was comfortably tight. With a reassuring smile, she hopped down off the counter._

_"Thank you," she stated quietly. Alex contemplated hugging him for a moment before she acted on it. She wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him the hardest she'd ever hugged anyone. It seemed to take Tony by surprise, but after a long minute, he reciprocated and hugged her back._

The brunette jolted awake to the sound of a shrill ringing. Still half-asleep, she forced herself upright and shuffled over to the cell door.

"Ben? What's going on?" She squinted at the fluorescent strip lights in the ceiling. A red light flashed at the end of the corridor and the ringing only seemed to get louder.

"It's morning wake-up call," the sandy-haired boy replied with a stifled yawn.

"Already?"

"Yep. Time has no meaning here, you should get used to that."

_Great._

"All inmates to the front of their cells," a monotonous voice instructed over the PA system and Alex forced herself to comply. Markus and the same woman from the day before accompanied him. They appeared at the end of the corridor and sauntered down the rows of cells, stopping in front of hers.

"Congratulations, it's your lucky day," Markus greeted with a slimy grin. The woman barked orders over her shoulder in what Alex guessed was Russian. Two armed guards arrived and Alex's breath caught in her throat.

"Put your hands through the gap," the woman instructed and with little hesitation, the brunette did as she was told. Cold, stainless-steel handcuffs were wrapped around her wrists and tightened almost to the point of discomfort. The armed guards opened the cell door and manhandled her out of the cell.

"Where are you taking me?" Her question fell on deaf ears as they stationed themselves on either side of her and marched her forward. Their grips on her upper arms were frighteningly tight and gave Alex little comfort as she was all but dragged through the facility.

"Patience," the woman chided as they passed through several sets of reinforced doors and security scanners. Alex decided to be wise and stopped asking questions until further notice.

The smells, sounds and sights that Alex encountered on the journey to wherever it was they were taking her, made her nauseous. The acrid mix of disinfectant, rust and blood burned at the back of her throat whilst her standard-issue flimsy pumps stuck to the floor on every other step. Thankfully, though doubly unluckily, they finally stopped.

The doors opened and revealed what Alex quickly realised was a medical bay. Gurneys were full of sedated bodies lined either side of the walkway. At a glance, Alex realised with a nauseating twist of her stomach that they all looked to be the same age as her.

"Now, be a good girl and sit still," Markus instructed as she was forced into the nearest empty gurney. Though she tried her hardest to resist, Alex was physically overpowered by everyone present. Through narrowed eyes, she watched as they strapped her down at the wrists, ankles, waist and a final restraint was fastened around her neck. Uncomfortably tight and itchy against her skin.

"Aren't you going to tell me what's going on? Hm? Isn't that what assholes like you two do? Explain your convoluted and complicated plan to every victim you gather?" Her final attempt at bringing humour to the situation landed her in hot water. A heavy hand pulled her head back against the board of the gurney and forced her to look at Markus as he leaned in.

"This isn't that kind of story, sweetheart. Lower your expectations." For the second time in 48 hours, Alex felt a pinch at the base of her neck and her vision began to swim. Though she'd been dosed with something heavy, she was able to fight it off long enough to watch the two guards attach her to an IV drip. As Alex's vision ebbed, an odd burning sensation travelled through her veins.

The lack of windows - or light in general - made it hard to work out how long she'd been out for, but Alex knew it didn't make her feel any better. The burning in her veins seemed to have gotten worse. It was a bizarre sensation to think about but the discomfort brought tears to her eyes.

Alex's vision was blurry and warped. She struggled to stay awake under the influence of whatever sedative they'd administered, but she vaguely recognised a white lab-coat clad figure stood by her feet.

"What did you give me?" Her speech was slurred and it echoed in her ears. The figure stepped closer and under the single, exposed bulb overhead, Alex thought her drug-addled brain was making things up.

" _¿Mamá?_ " The face above her came into focus just long enough for the feverish brunette to confirm that it was her mother stood in front of her. Clipboard in her hands and a deep-etched frown on her brow.

"Alex?" the older woman's voice brought back a hurricane of memories, " _¿Qué estás haciendo aquí?_ "

"I... I was at a party, with Tony," the lucid teen began, barely able to keep her eyes open, "Then - then Markus got me." Marta pressed the back of her hand against Alex's clammy forehead and the restrained brunette flinched.

"Oh, _bebe_ I'm so -"

"Fuck you," she interrupted with less of a slur. The hatred rolled off her tongue with a sharp sting.

"Alex -"

"No. You - You _left me_ and I've been doing... Doing just fine without you," Alex insisted as her head lolled to the side and she let out a strained breath. The restraint around her neck was one notch shy of stopping airflow completely. Silence fell between the two women, backed only by the other sounds of the medical bay. Before any more efforts could be made, Markus rejoined them behind the stained and aged curtains that had been drawn around her.

"How's she doing, Doc?"

"No signs of rejection from the body, vitals are normal. She's clear to go ahead, sir." Helpless tears rolled down Alex's cheeks as she forced herself to look away from the woman that used to be her mother.

"Excellent. Have her prepped with the final dose and string her up to dry." The sedated brunette swallowed thickly, her tongue was heavy against her teeth as Markus moved closer and bent down to get in her face.

"You may prove your worth yet, little lamb." Alex's lips curled into a sneer, a sharp remark simmered on the tip of her tongue, but she let it die behind her teeth. He grabbed her by the chin, the pads of his fingers dug into her skin and made her grimace. She had no choice but to look him in the eyes.

"Get some rest, you'll need your strength."

Marta signalled for assistance and two armed guards appeared. They undid the restraints slowly, cautiously. To be sure she didn't try and fight back. Not that she could do much else other than wiggle her fingers in that state. After they'd hassled her to her feet, she was all but carried back out of the medical bay and down the left-hand corridor.

Alex vaguely registered the room they'd brought her to. They let her go and all she could do was slump to her knees in a sedative-fueled heap at their feet. Chains echoed and rattled. The heavy stainless steel was wrapped around her wrists several times before the excess was attached to something overhead.

"Time to dry you out. Have fun, little lamb." Forcing herself to look up, Alex just about made out a hook and a series of complicated pulley systems suspended from the ceiling. A loud grinding followed and involuntarily, Alex was hoisted to her feet by the wrists. The discomfort partnered with the heavy drugs they'd filled her with and forced her into unconsciousness again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is subjected to some of the worst conditions the facility has to offer. Yet to display any powers, it's a time-sensitive mission to get out before she either gets "disposed" of or her powers appear. She faces the ultimatum the only way she knows how; by putting her brave face on and bargaining with every deity she knows to make it through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): physical abuse/torture, mild language, forced violence between two characters, psychological trauma, Alex is prepared to die (figured it'd be worth noting), minor theft is committed I guess, serious character whump/angst, threatening/predatory language, if I missed anything PLEASE let me know!
> 
> This chapter is pretty hefty so if you think any of the above will trigger/upset you, please don't read! Put yourself before the fic and just hang around for the next update!

**WHETHER IT HAD BEEN MONTHS OR WEEKS, ALEX COULDN'T TELL.** Ben - or rather, _Icarus_ \- had been right when he'd said that the days all blurred into one. As a creature of habit, she'd quickly become accustomed to waking up before the morning call.

"Hey, mornin' sunshine," Ben greeted from behind his cell bars. Alex ran her fingers through her hair and detangled some of the smaller mattes.

"Ready for another day in paradise?" the brunette mused hoarsely, desperate for even a mouthful of water.

"Ha, you're hilarious."

"I know, right? I should go into comedy if I ever get out of here," she sassed in reply and they both shared a laugh. Before one of them could make another comment, the doors at the far end of the corridor creaked open and revealed Markus and a taller, greying man dressed in black leather from head to toe.

"Today is a _fine_ day, if I do say so myself," Markus greeted, his voice echoed down the hall. Alex couldn't see him, but she knew that whatever was about to come out of his mouth would be anything but a good omen for any of them. Though Ben was the only other person in a cell she'd seen the face of, she knew there were at least a dozen more _teenagers_ on that row with them.

"Step forward," he instructed Alex when they stopped in front of her cell. She opened her mouth to make a snide remark, but the burning gaze of the older man made her too uncomfortable. Instead, she swallowed thickly and did as she was told. Markus gestured to her hands and held up the pair of heavy-duty handcuffs she'd become well acquainted with.

"Congratulations, _little_ _lamb_ , today is your lucky day."

_I'd hardly consider myself lucky in any capacity._

Whilst Markus clasped the handcuffs around her wrists, bordering on unbearably tight, Alex tried to look anywhere but the older man. She failed quite miserably. Dark circles resided under his eyes and a long, silvery-pink scar ran across his left cheek from the corner of his eye to his chin. He hadn't said half a syllable since they'd arrived but his presence was enough to give her unpleasant chills.

Alex allowed herself to be led out of her cell and down the corridors. She wanted to fight back in some way, but nothing seemed worth the inevitable punishment she'd receive as a result. She was guided through the facility to a wing she didn't recognise. Markus nudged her sharply to the right, to an open door. She didn't have time to decipher what the sign on the door said before she was shoved to her knees. Alex didn't cry out or curse only chewed on the inside of her cheeks. The damp on the concrete floor seeped through the knees of her thin "uniform". 

"You haven't displayed any powers yet, little lamb. This is your last straw, understand?" A nauseating lump forced itself into Alex's throat as she nodded wordlessly.

A sharp backhand across the cheek brought her to her senses.

"I don't think I heard you, lamb. Do you _understand_?" Alex looked up at him with a clenched jaw and a stubbornness in her whiskey-coloured irises.

"Yes," she stated bluntly and was taken aback when he surged forward and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her an inch or so above the ground.

"Yes, _what_?" Gasping for air and desperate to be let go, Alex clawed at his wrist as best as she could with the heavy cuffs hindering her movement.

"Yes, sir." Markus dropped her and she landed in a heap at his feet, coughing and spluttering for a decent lungful of air.

"The serum is already in your body," he began setting things up in the dingy room with the help of the older man, "All that we need to do is push you enough for your powers to come out. Whatever that may be. You've been here a few months already and you've still shown no sign of any powers. This weekend is your last chance."

"Or what? Do I get sent to the slaughterhouse? Please, you'd be doing me a favour at this point," she managed to remark snidely before she was manhandled by the older man to an elongated chest in the far corner. Like a chest freezer, but _longer_ and deeper. Markus chuckled and opened the lid. It was full to the brim with ice and water. Any words she might've said crawled up her throat and died on her tongue.

"Get in." The order was simple. It didn't come from Markus, but the man that had accompanied him. She still didn't know his name.

"You heard him, little lamb, _get in_." Jarred by the sudden change in Markus' tone, Alex fumbled to comply and only hesitated for a split second before she swung her leg over the edge of the chest and stepped into the icy water.

It stung against her warm skin and as she lowered herself into the water, she struggled to catch her breath. Alex wanted to stop and get used to the harsh temperature first, but as she stepped into it fully, both men moved forward and wrestled her to the bottom of the chest.

Panic wrapped its slimy fingers around her heart and squeezed. Bubbles burst from her parted lips and warped the already blurry vision of the two men above her. Alex writhed and thrashed as hard as she could. Her lungs burned for a breath of fresh air. The floating ice prickled her skin and got tangled in the dark tendrils of hair that swayed and curled around her head.

 _Fuck it_.

Alex relaxed, on the off chance they might release her - even briefly. She stilled. Her chest ached and her head was screaming for her to _just take a breath_ , but she persevered. She blinked once. Twice. The harsh light overhead flickered and warped through the water. It reminded Alex of fork lightning and the electrical storms they used to experience in Los Angeles when she was younger.

All at once she was being dragged upwards. She broke the surface and gasped so desperately for air that she almost started choking. Water and ice cubes had spilt over the edge of the chest and covered a large portion of the floor. Alex looked up at Markus, a silent plea. Instead of speaking, he simply moved to the far end of the chest and removed his coat. With the article discarded, he rolled his sleeves up and reached into the freezing water. His large hands found her ankles and he wrapped his fingers around them firmly.

In another bout of panic, she drew in a large breath before the other man pushed her back under by the shoulders. Less persuasion was needed the second time around for her to stay under. Alex closed her eyes and tried to convince herself this was just a nightmare. She was really in Malibu again, swimming in the ocean and getting sand in her hair.

When she eventually opened her eyes again, everything in the chest was dark. She'd obviously floated to the surface and the lid was shut, just an inch from her face. Total darkness. Smooth. Frosted. Glacial, almost. Ice cubes bobbed and clicked all around her. There was a peculiar comfort in the total darkness. In not knowing whether her eyes were opened or closed. Alex had never really been afraid of the dark, but she'd always been told the Dark was a bad thing. Her mother used to tell her, horrible creatures lurked in the Dark and it wasn't a safe place for anyone, especially children.

Now, floating in the vat of icy water surrounded by nothing but darkness and there was no creeping feeling on her skin. No uncomfortable fluttering of her heart behind her ribs. It was a paradoxical experience to be surrounded by _nothingness_ and yet feel no danger. Experimentally, Alex reached out and felt the sting of the cold metal under her fingertips. She pressed her palms flat against the brushed aluminium and pushed harder. It didn't budge.

"Hello?" Her voice was hoarse and muffled in her ears. She tried to hit the lid, only to push herself back under the water by mistake. After several futile attempts to forcefully open the lid, she gave up. Her limbs ached and the icy numbness had seeped into her bones. Alex gave up and just let herself float in the water, trying to remain calm despite how dire the situation was.

The intrusion of light and voices brought her around the second time. Her eyes were heavy and she could barely lift her head to discern who it was that had come back to her. She vaguely recognised being hoisted out of the water and being transferred to a different part of the room. Shivering and struggling to breathe, Alex was pliant to their actions.

"- have you got the feed ready yet?" a voice barked somewhere off to the left. Something was pressed to either side of her head and just inside the collar of her shirt. Drowsy from the cold, she was helpless.

"It's all good to go," someone else confirmed and as Alex was finally able to focus her vision and noticed that she was back on a gurney, not too dissimilar from the one she'd been strapped to when they'd first injected her with the godforsaken serum all that time ago.

"Wonderful." A laptop was set up across from them and Alex noted that she could see herself and some of the room on the screen. Were they recording this? To what end?

"Alright, let's give them a show, little lamb." Alex grimaced weakly at the proximity between her and who she assumed to be Markus, based on the _gross_ nickname. He straightened out to face the setup and cleared his throat dramatically before he opened his mouth.

"Mister Stark, _Tony!_ I think we have something of yours," he began and gestured to Alex, "This isn't for any ransom, this is just an _update_ on Alex's wellbeing. She's doing wonderfully." The sarcasm dripped from his words in the same way the water dripped from Alex's clothes into a puddle on the floor.

"Unfortunately, she hasn't presented any powers or abilities yet, but that's not something we're particularly worried about. In fact, we're going to give you an _exclusive_ look at our process. Who better to show our methods at work than your own flesh and blood."

"Tony," she called out weakly, unable to raise her voice. Goosebumps still prickled her skin and her teeth chattered uncontrollably.

"However, there is a tiny catch. If she fails to present any mutations, abilities or powers, she's no longer a viable subject and must be... _Discarded_ immediately." Sick to her stomach, Alex fought the urge to gag. Some kind of lab assistant approached her and sheepishly reached out with a rubber bit to go between her teeth. Presumably. Though she tried to fight it, she was powerless. The silicone was dry and slightly chalky to taste, which only deepened her nausea.

"So sit back and enjoy the next forty-eight hours." Electricity hummed and buzzed before someone somewhere flipped a switch.

Every muscle in her body went rigid. A scream tore itself from her throat and tears forced their way down her cheeks. Alex found that electrocution was nothing like the movies made it out to be. Her chest ached, her muscles burned. God did it _burn_. Were it not for the rubber mouth guard between her teeth, she knew she would've shattered them with how tightly clenched her jaw was.

Then it stopped. Darkness. Velvety, soft _darkness_. The bright spots that had danced over her vision ebbed away. Several ragged, uncontrolled gasps for air followed. Alex looked down at her hands that had been curled into such tight fists, that blood oozed from the crescent moons her nails had punched into the skin.

"Feel anything yet?" Markus patronised and stepped closer. Alex could smell the lingering trace of cigarette smoke on his breath mixed with the sting of mint gum he'd obviously chased it with. From behind the mouthguard she gagged before she spat it out completely. A small act of defiance.

"Fuck you," Alex sneered hoarsely as he sighed and bent over to pick it up. He handed it over to one of the other scientists to rinse it off. From her restrained position, she couldn't fight back as he brought a hand up to her face. Flinched when he pressed his palm against her cheek. She let out a shaky breath through her nose and refused to look at him when the pad of his thumb began swiping back and forth across her bottom lip.

"Such a pretty little thing," he cooed, words over-saturated with faux sweetness, "I wonder what we'd find if we cut open that head of yours."

"Over my dead body." Markus chuckled and condescendingly tilted his head.

"That can be arranged, little lamb." He pressed harder against her bottom lip until she conceded and opened her mouth just slightly. She pulled him into a false sense of security before biting down harshly on the calloused digit. Like a feral animal, she clamped her teeth around his thumb and refused to let go. The curses and cries that fell from his mouth filled her with more satisfaction than she'd ever felt before.

She hadn't completely severed the digit but the burst of copper against her tongue took her by surprise and she let go. Markus stumbled backwards, hand clutched to his chest and all manner of profanities fell from his poisonous mouth. Alex craned her head forward to spit the blood out of her mouth and on to the floor, for lack of a better option. A mildly crazed laugh left her crimson-tinted lips. Jumped from the back of her throat past blood-stained teeth.

"Is that _precious_ enough?" she taunted as two of the staff she assumed to be medically trained saw to his injury. He brushed them off and stormed back over, face as dark as thunder. His fingers dug into her jaw and cheeks as he forced Alex to look at him. She did so with an unwavering gaze.

"You're going to wish you didn't do that," he warned darkly. Alex blinked slowly. Deliberately. As if Tony's spirit and attitude had fully come through and possessed her.

"And you're _pathetic_. Looks like we both need to learn some things." He let her go and stepped away. Muttered something to the nearest lab-coating wearing member of staff and suddenly she wasn't being restrained anymore. They removed the thick leather straps and the guard that had been stood at the door moved to stand behind her, to ensure she didn't try anything. Alex noted the feeling of an assault rifle being butted against her lower back as a burlap sack was hastily pulled over her head.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Alex was forced to her knees. One of her handcuffs was undone to secure her hands behind her back, so they wouldn't get in the way. Though she tried to fight against whatever it was they had planned, she couldn't have anticipated being pushed headfirst into cold water. The second time in as many hours.

Like before, it stung, to begin with. Bit sharply at her cheeks and nose. Though she thrashed and kicked, the torrent of bubbles that burst from her parted lips tickled her face. A strange sensation in such a perilous situation. What little water had made it into her mouth was quick to be swallowed. A welcomed, albeit brief, relief to her sore throat.

Alex was yanked upwards and allowed a moment to draw in the biggest breath she could manage without choking on the water that ran down her face and poured from the bag. Then she was resubmerged and the process repeated.

Time melted and Alex didn't want to hazard a guess at how long they'd been unceremoniously dunking her into the water and making her choke on air. She was so out of breath that trying to take a simple lungful of air was agony.

They must've grown bored of repeatedly almost drowning her because the last time she was brought out of the water, she was hauled to her feet, though she was barely able to stand unaided. Alex was led blindly by Markus and the guard, who were talking in hushed tones in what she assumed was Russian. Her head pounded relentlessly and she squinted at the pinpricks of light that forced their way through the material of the sack.

Behind them, she recognised the hurried footsteps of several people following them, with the equipment for the live stream no doubt.

They stopped abruptly and Alex nearly tripped over her own feet. The sack was ripped from her head and she squinted at the harsh intrusion of light. The handcuffs were removed and that's when it became apparent to Alex that the room was completely bare, save for a few stray pieces of debris that could be picked up with relative ease.

"What's going on?" She forced the words out for the first time since that morning. They came laced with venom as she cast a hateful glance at Markus.

"You'll see, soon enough." Before she could ask any more questions, she was left alone in the dingy room. All of a minute passed before someone else was thrown into the dimly-lit space with Alex.

"Who are you?" It was a boy a few years older than Alex, but it was hard to tell with how malnourished and grimy he looked. He was a gangly figure and from what Alex could determine, possessed very little muscle mass.

"Well, I'm Alex, who are _you_?" The mystery boy staggered slightly and scowled at her.

"You're in here for one reason and one reason only. The right to live. From this moment forward, you're in a fight to the death. Good luck," Marku's voice explained from somewhere over their heads. The disingenuous tone pushed a nauseating lump into Alex's throat.

"There's gotta be another way -"

"No." The blunt force of that single syllable stopped Alex in her tracks.

"What?"

"I said _no._ You heard him, there's only going to be one of us that makes it out of this." Alex didn't appreciate the tone of his voice and the way he was eyeing a stray piece of rebar on the floor just behind her.

"If we don't fight then they won't get the blood they wanted -"

"If we don't fight, we both get killed. That's how this place works. Sorry for not wanting to entertain your naive escape narrative where somehow we survive this. That's not how real life works." It was Alex's turn to scowl at the bleak truth he spouted.

"Fine, have it your way." Without uttering another syllable, the two had a staredown like some wild animals vying for turf or food. Neither one of them made an effort to move until Alex got brave enough to lunge for the broken piece of rebar.

Whilst he certainly had a height advantage, Alex was _fast_. With what little of her training she could remember from what felt like aeons ago, she put herself as far away from him as possible. He picked up a larger piece of what Alex guessed to be old piping and steadied himself with the new weight. He sneered, baring his teeth in true animal fashion.

She curled her fingers around the metal bar a little tighter and clenched her jaw. She was terrified, but damn if she was going to let _him_ know that.

"C'mon!" he jeered and swapped his weapon of choice between his hands. Alex found him to be slightly less intimidating and more annoying than anything else. That didn't mean she was prepared in any capacity to kill him. Regrettably, she never got the chance to bargain with him because he ran at her, his intentions abundantly clear.

With a yelp of surprise, she ducked and rolled across the floor. Alex barely made it to her feet before he barreled into her and they both went crashing to the floor. She could feel the residual damp that seeped through her clothes and it made her cringe slightly. He held the piping across her neck and put as much weight behind it as he could.

Having forgotten about her own makeshift weapon, Alex desperately tried to push back. Above them, the strip lights flickered noticeably. With a burst of energy, she brought her knees up just enough to throw his weight unevenly. She took a ragged breath against the cold bite of the metal pipe and shoved as hard as she could. Alex sent him tumbling over her head and the pipe was cast aside.

"I don't want to fight you! What part of that are you failing to understand?" she questioned breathlessly as she prepared herself to get attacked again.

"And I just wanted to drink and dance at a nightclub with my friends. Neither one of us are getting what we want," he retorted sharply. With their "weapons" forgotten about, they took to using their fists instead.

At first, they just danced around one another. It was clear to Alex that he didn't really know the first thing about close-quarters combat and that put her at an advantage. The punches they traded were predominantly just glancing off of one another. Until he managed to get her square in the nose.

Alex stumbled backwards, surprised. Her eyes watered at the harsh impact but they weren't tears she cried voluntarily. Gingerly, she swiped under her nose with her index finger and it came away streaked with blood.

The lights flickered again. Electricity hummed and crackled overhead. Somewhere deep inside, a fire ignited in Alex and all reservations went up in flames and smoke. Alex and the mystery boy collided and hit the ground. They grappled and wrestled with each other on the filthy floor, hoping to get the upper hand against the other.

**-/-/-**

She had managed to get a handful of good punches in, though he returned them with just as much vigour. Anything she could get her hands on, she used as a weapon. Stray tools, scraps of old wood and metal. For a fleeting moment, it looked like Alex was going to come out on top. She had him pinned to the floor, the same way she had been, beneath an old, splintered piece of wood.

"No! Please - please," he choked out as she loomed over him, her eyes burned with unadulterated _rage._ Alex ignored his pleas and pushed harder before she saw the panic in his eyes. It became glaringly apparent that she was _so ready_ to kill him. The realisation terrified her.

_That's not who you are._

She let him go and frantically scrambled backwards. Heaving and coughing, he rolled over and spat. Alex forced herself to her feet and backed away. Flinched when she hit the cold concrete wall. Her hands trembled ever so slightly and the lights began to flicker again, for longer this time. It nagged her at the back of her mind that she was the cause, but she couldn't allow herself to get her hopes up like that.

The boy stood up and brushed himself off before he took three large strides over to her. Both of his hands wrapped around her throat. Spindly fingers dug into her skin and _squeezed_. For all that she thrashed and kicked, he didn't seem to budge. Her vision started to darken at the edges and her strength began to wane.

Alex, whilst beaten and exhausted, took a moment to accept this as her fate. This was it. There was nothing left for her to do. She should've been scared. She should've put up more of a fight. There were a lot of things she _should've_ done, but she was more than ready to let go.

_No, c'mon, kid, you've got enough fight left in you._

Pained tears rolled down her cheeks as she swore she heard Tony's voice. She knew he was still watching. He wouldn't leave the monitors for even a second if she knew him as well as she thought she did.

_Fight back! Alex you gotta fight back!_

The barely conscious brunette forced her eyes open one last time and saw the shadows closing in. The literal shadows from the corners of the room. Unable to stay awake any longer, she let her heavy lids close. An uncomfortable heat flashed through her and then all of a sudden it was cold. Chilly ripples against her skin. The same sensation she'd garner from pressing her forehead to glass window panes.

She was surrounded by nothing. Complete darkness. There was no sounds or smells. Nothing. Experimentally, Alex took a step forward with her hands outstretched. Everything burst back into life and she was in one of the many long corridors within the facility. An alarm blared overhead and red warning lights flashed at each end.

"Holy shit," she sighed as she turned to see where she came from, only to be met with a brick wall. And a broad, sweeping shadow that spanned across the corner she'd found herself in. Alex jumped when the doors at the far end flew open and half a dozen armed guards appeared.

In a panic, she turned on her heel and ran back into the shadow. She had no idea how to dictate where she ended up, but she hoped that it was somewhere close to her cell. She could navigate from there.

When she burst back into the facility, she was inside a cell. Not her own.

"Alex?" Her attention turned to the speaker and she was monumentally pleased to see Ben. With a relieved sigh, she rushed forward and hugged him.

"You would not _believe_ the day I've had -"

"I think I have a rough idea," he admitted with a mix of shock and awe on his face. Up close he was far prettier than Alex ever could've anticipated.

"I can get us out of here."

"Really?!"

"Kinda. Hold my hand..." He didn't argue and the commotion of approaching guards made Alex's mouth dry up, "This should probably work. I think."

"What -" Before Ben could freak out, she pulled him into the shadow with her. To the battered brunette's amazement, it _had_ worked.

They flashed in and out of various corridors and stairwells, avoiding guards at all costs. If they chanced across one of the trigger-happy groups, Alex yanked Ben into the nearest shadow and they carried on.

"So, is this your thing then?" he questioned breathlessly as they neared their way out.

"Apparently," she confirmed as they ducked away from another team of gun-waving adversaries.

"Can you do more or are you just able to walk through shadows?"

"I have no idea! I've been a little preoccupied with _not_ dying to find out, honestly," Alex quipped in reply and the main entrance came into view.

With a final sprint, she steered the two of them into the biggest shadow yet. Their time in between was barely a flash before they both landed face-first in snow. The duo took a moment to catch their breaths before making a silent agreement not to hang around.

"Do you know what your name might be?" Ben questioned quietly as they trekked through the powdery drifts and deeper into the woods.

"I don't think I want to even think about my _new name_. I'm just glad we got out."

"Me too." Though he spoke quietly, Alex couldn't pretend she didn't hear those two words. It made her smile, despite the very real danger they were still in. But all of that was overshadowed by the fact that they were out and they were _alive_.

**-/-/-**

As night closed in, they neared the edge of the dense woodlands. Still in each other's company and all the more grateful for it with every passing minute. For the most part, they made idle conversation; who they were before they were brought to the facility, their interests and hobbies they used to be involved with.

There was a momentary break in the conversation and Alex looked around through the darkening treeline. Her tired eyes made her do a double-take when she caught a glimpse of twinkling lights in the distance.

"Is that -"

"A town!" Wordlessly, they broke into a run towards civilisation. Their breaths clouded the air in soft white wisps and Alex knew without looking in the mirror that her face was probably flushed and uncomfortably windswept from the cold. She didn't care though, not at that moment. Not when real food, warm clothes and a way of reaching Tony were in front of her.

The two of them barely made it to the edge of the town before they skidded to a stop and caught their breaths. A few of the nearest buildings looked to be various stores. A general supply place, thrift store, a boarded-up restaurant and another indistinguishable building a little further on than that.

"C'mon, let's go shopping," she prompted and Ben followed after her as they shuffled through the lamp-lit streets. Alex led Ben to a side-alley between the restaurant and the thrift store, where the shadows were long and inky-black.

Inside the darkened store, they milled through the various racks and shelves of second and third-hand clothing. Alex wandered around, a hand outstretched to graze by all the hung up articles. Hangers clicked and clacked against the rails. She found a decent pair of boots, acid-washed jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt to layer underneath a short-sleeved one, a hoodie and a fleece-lined denim jacket.

With a glance over her shoulder to check Ben was still looking for clothes of his own, she stepped into one of the dressing rooms and stripped out of the bloodied and tattered uniform she'd been accustomed to for the last few months.

"Hey, this is pretty neat, huh?" Ben asked over the divider between the dressing rooms. Alex chuckled and finished tying up the boots.

"What?"

"Well, we just escaped from what is - _technically -_ a Neo-Nazi science base and certain death and now we're just out here. Changing clothes and trying to blend in. Oh, the breaking in is pretty thrilling too."

"Technically, we didn't _break_ anything. Therefore, not a crime. In my eyes at least. We also need to try and find some change and a payphone." Alex stepped out of her dressing room and found a full-length mirror to check herself in. Her face was bruised and she had a few minor cuts and bleeds here and there. Nothing that couldn't be explained away if they were questioned by anyone.

As she stepped back, Ben emerged from his own dressing room. Alex caught a glimpse of his t-shirt; _The Phantom of The Opera_ playbill was printed on the front and fading. It was as if a lightbulb appeared over her head.

"The Phantom," she mused quietly, though she hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"Hm? Oh, the shirt? I've never actually seen it -"

"No, my name. I want to be _The Phantom_ ," she clarified and Ben nodded with a grin.

"I like that. Has a badass ring to it. Alex The Phantom. Yeah, you're totally going have comic books written about you and a ton of merch with your face on it -"

"Oh my God, you dweeb, please stop," she bubbled with laughter as they made their way back out of the store. Back in the alleyway, it became apparent that they were both starving. Thankfully, the restaurant next to the thrift store was only boarded up against the weather. The kitchen was still fully stocked and both of them were suddenly overcome with the desire to eat _as much as they could_.

They were finally free.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After escaping the facility, Ben and Alex need to figure out how to get out of the snow-covered town they found. Whilst laying low and keeping to themselves, some interesting developments occur between the two of them. When help finally arrives to bail them out, there's no end to the relief that's felt when they're found, mostly in one piece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): an awkward first kiss, mild language (? I think??), reunion feels, lmk if I missed anything else!

**ALMOST 24 HOURS AFTER THEIR ESCAPE, BEN AND ALEX HAD SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED TO AVOID BEING CAUGHT.** They'd gathered enough supplies and clothing to last them a few days. From their brief self-guided tour of the town, they realised it was practically deserted. The duo had made themselves comfortable in the boarded-up restaurant.

In their makeshift den of sorts, Alex was bundled up in a sleeping bag and the thickest clothes she could get her hands on from the thrift store. She found herself rather enjoying the company she had with Ben and seemed to make hiding from the lab all the easier instead of facing it alone.

"So, I have a question," Ben began as Alex tinkered with the landline phone they'd found.

"Ask and you may receive." She didn't look up from the circuitry as her tongue poked out from between her lips in concentration.

"If you were at home, right now, what would you be doing?" The brunette set the phone down and thought about her answer for a moment, spun the screwdriver around her fingers

"Well, that depends on where you define _home_ to be. If I was back in New York, I'd probably be listening to one of my mixtapes, helping Pepper and Tony decorate the Tower. They'd argue about the decorations and gifts but they mean well. What about you?" Alex returned to tinkering as the blonde Adonis across from her thought about his answer. When a minute or two had passed, she looked up and saw him still deep in thought.

"I can't really remember the last time I stayed in one place long enough to call it home. I guess, if things had been different and I hadn't wound up at that facility, I'd be travelling again. Backpacking along the coast, taking life a day at a time."

"Sounds pretty lonely," Alex stated quietly as she jammed the point of the screwdriver into the circuit board. Small sparks flew but nothing blew up. Thankfully.

"Nah, it wasn't so bad. I've met some pretty rad people. It's freeing, not having anything to tie you down in one place. Being able to come and go wherever you want," he explained with a wistful expression and for a moment there was an optimism in the air between them.

"Well, then promise me something, Ben -" He looked at her with an intent expression "- No matter where you end up in the world, whatever you end up doing. Write to me?"

"What kind of person would I be if I said no? Of course, I'll write to you, I've gotta share my adventures with _somebody_ , right?" They shared a lighthearted laugh and Alex resumed the task of rewiring the phone.

From her position, she could just about see out of the small slat windows opposite their makeshift den. Fat flurries of snowflakes danced through the air and descended upon the already snow-blanketed town. As she meddled and reconstructed, Alex couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the situation they found themselves in.

"Something tickled you, Alex?"

"No - I mean, kinda. If you look past all the fucked up psychological damage we've had inflicted on us, it's pretty hilarious that we're stranded in a snowed-in ghost town in the middle of nowhere," she admitted aloud whilst reaching for a spare piece she'd set down by her feet.

"You've sure got a strange way of thinking about things, huh?" Alex shrugged with a slight sigh.

"Are you saying you don't find this at least a _little bit_ ridiculous that we're in this situation? I mean, c'mon, I'm hotwiring a _landline_ phone to call for a ride home, we have no idea when the snow is going to stop - if at all. You can't write this kind of shit." At this, Ben laughed in agreement.

"It is pretty weird, I guess." A moment of silence fell between them and Alex noted how the wind howled through the streets outside.

"This is going to sound _so_ stupid, but do you want to play twenty questions? If - If it's going to be too distracting you can say no and I'll just sit and watch you fix -"

"Sure, I can multitask. You go first," she agreed with a grin as she used the head of the screwdriver to pry the main circuit board out of the housing.

"Sweet, alright... Have you ever had any pets?"

"No. Not unless a pet rock when I was seven counts?" Alex replied with a slight laugh at the memory. It was her turn so she cleared her throat and momentarily halted her efforts in rewiring the ancient phone.

"If you could eat any two food items for the rest of your life, with no weight gain, what would they be?"

"Ooh, that is a _good_ question," Ben took a moment to think of his answer before he snapped his fingers, "Chili-cheese fries and vanilla ice cream sundaes, without a doubt." Alex nodded in acknowledgement and returned to the task at hand.

"Okay, okay - how old were you when you had your first kiss?" Ben's question caught her off guard, though she tried not to make it obvious. Heat burnished her cheeks as she continued to fiddle and fuss over the circuitry in her hands.

"I, uh..." the confession was too embarrassing to speak aloud, but the look on Ben's face repeated it silently, again and again.

"Oh, you don't have to -"

"I haven't."

"What?" Her reply seemed to take him by surprise, but Alex opted not to look at him, in favour of keeping her attention fixed on the device in her hands.

"I haven't - had my first kiss, I mean." The heat in her cheeks and ears was beginning to get uncomfortable but when she looked up at Ben, he wasn't trying to hide laughter or looking at her like she was pathetic. It was a strange expression on his face that she couldn't quite decipher.

"I refuse to believe a super-smart, pretty girl like yourself hasn't been kissed before. Are you joking?"

"I wish I was," Alex admitted with a small shake of her head. She chewed the inside of her lip to stop herself from rambling.

"Why hasn't anyone kissed you? Of course, you don't have to tell me, I'm just being nosy."

"Who _would_? I didn't spend much time in high school because of how high my IQ was and besides, how many guys do you know that would pursue a girl that's smarter than them?" Ben chuckled, wordlessly admitting that she'd made a fair point if nothing else.

"You obviously haven't met the right guy, then."

"Obviously not," Alex agreed with a bashful grin, all tinkering was forgotten about.

"Do you -? I mean, we could always -"

"Ben, are you volunteering to be my first kiss?"

"Do you _want_ me to be your first kiss?" he countered and Alex couldn't help but huff out half a laugh. It wasn't until an electric silence fell between them that she realised he was serious.

"Oh - uh, yeah? I mean, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do -"

"It's okay, I'll talk you through it." Alex set down the dismantled landline phone and shuffled across the floor to be sat directly in front of him. Her stomach was aflutter with nerves as Ben almost pulled her into his lap.

"Are you sure about this?" The concern in his greyish-green eyes was admirable, but Alex didn't want to linger on the reality of the situation.

"Yeah. Totally. I trust you," she assured him with a nod. Alex swallowed hard and drew in a deep breath as Ben leaned in.

"Relax," he instructed in a hushed whisper, a grin stretching across his lips, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be. Wait - what do I do with my hands?"

"Put them wherever you feel comfortable." With a final nod of understanding, Alex watched as everything slowed down and Ben leaned in.

It was a foreign - but not entirely _unpleasant_ \- sensation to have his lips pressed against hers. In fact, it only amplified the butterfly feeling in her stomach as his fingers tangled into her hair and pulled her even closer. As Alex figured out where was best to put her hands, it occurred to her what she was missing from the phone.

"Wait, wait -" she pulled away, a little breathless with a slightly giddy grin "- I'm really sorry, but I just realised what I'm missing. I'll be right back." Without any further explanation, she pushed herself to her feet and picked up the thrift store jacket that was quickly becoming her favourite item of clothing.

"You're a league of your own, Alex Stark, you know that?" She cast a smile over her shoulder at him as she reached the door.

"Of course I do," Alex assured him as she grabbed the door handle.

"Be careful!" he called after her as she stepped into the bitter cold. Snowflakes still swirled through the air, though they were lighter than before. A couple stuck to the loose tendrils of hair around her face and plenty got caught on her eyelashes and nose. She ducked between the abandoned buildings and was careful to leave as few footprints in the snow as possible.

By some miracle, the town had a near-ancient looking _Radio Shack_ -style store down the far end of the street. With relative ease, Alex got herself inside and began to look around, aware of the possibility that Marcus and his merry band of mercenaries might be lurking.

Everything was coated in a film of dust, but that was the last of her problems. Alex knew that this was her last chance to get a line of communication to Tony, she wasn't going to stop until she had the missing component. She searched through the half-empty shelves and long-forgotten pieces of old tech.

"C'mon... There's gotta be one around here somewhere..." She rooted through the boxes and took little care in sifting through the abandoned boxes of stock.

Outside, there was a muffled shout. A barked order in a foreign tongue. Panic shot through Alex and she turned to duck under the counter. She clamped a hand over her mouth as she tried her best to keep calm.

" _Madre Mia..._ " Alex swallowed back rising nausea as they got closer to the store.

To the left, on one of the tallest shelves, she saw it. The last component she needed to fix the phone. Cautious, Alex stood up and made her way over to the shelf. She stretched upwards, testing to see if she could reach it without any aid. She couldn't. With a frustrated sigh, she looked around for some kind of stepping stool and even that proved to be harder than it should be, though eventually, she did find a sturdy crate to overturn and stand on.

With the extra height, her fingers grazed the box she needed. Alex stretched on to the tips of her toes, desperately reaching for the box whilst trying not to fall off the improvised step. She hooked her fingers through the grating on the shelf below in hopes of _pulling_ herself up another half an inch. Outside, the voices got louder. Closer.

" _Un poco más cerca ... ¡Vamos!_ " _**A little closer... Come on!** _she pleaded in a frantic whisper. Beneath her, the crate wobbled and threatened to tip. Alex's heart leapt into her throat as she made a final reach.

A flood of relief hit her system when she could finally grasp the box properly and pull it off the shelf. Alex let out a breath she hadn't intentionally held in before she ducked back behind the counter and began to frantically add in the new component, whilst still trying to keep quiet.

As it all connected and slotted back into place, Alex couldn't be happier with herself. All that was left to do, was get in touch with Tony - which would be a miracle in itself - and stay hidden until he arrived. Light on her feet, Alex shadow-jumped back into their hideout with a triumphant smile.

"And the Girl-Wonder returns. Did you find what you were looking for?" Ben greeted cheerily from his position under the one-way window across the far wall.

"Yeah! But we're not alone any more, so we need to be extra careful not to make any noise or draw any attention to this place," she instructed as she returned to her bundled-up sleeping bag and belongings she'd accumulated over the past day and a half.

"Oh God, really?" Alex nodded, thankful that the lack of electricity meant they'd be a little harder to find.

"So, what now?"

"It's time to call our ride." With slightly trembling fingers, Alex dialled the only number she could remember. The line seemed to ring for an eternity before it finally went through.

 _"Hi, you've reached the direct line to Stark Industries. For monitoring and training purposes, please state your name,"_ an automated voice responded, hopeful tears stung in Alex's eyes as she took a deep breath.

"Alex Stark."

_"Please state who you are trying to contact."_

"Tony Stark." The anticipation pushed a lump into her throat and Alex closed her eyes, hoping that against all odds, he was in the building and able to accept the call.

_"Please hold, you're being connected."_

"What's going on?" Ben whispered from across the way, curious. Before Alex could offer an answer, the call connected.

 _"Alex?!"_ The sound of Tony's voice was enough to break the dam. Tears started to roll hot and heavy down her cheeks.

"Yeah, it's me. Tony, I'm sorry," she half-sobbed through deep breaths, beyond grateful to hear his voice again.

_"No, don't apologise. Where are you?"_

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't know?" Alex replied with her trademark phrase. 

_"Sounds about right. Don't go anywhere, alright?"_

"I won't. I promise."

 _"JARVIS is tracing the call right now. We'll get a pin on you, sweetheart, don't worry,"_ he assured her and Alex knew he was probably fighting back tears of his own. She took another deep breath and cleared her throat, unable to stop herself from crying.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice." She sniffed and dried her eyes on her sleeve unceremoniously. Ben shuffled across the floor and sat next to her, a comforting hand landed on her knee.

 _" - Tony? What's going on?"_ Pepper could be heard in the background of the call and that made Alex cry even more.

"Pepper?"

_"Oh my God! Alex, sweetie are you okay?!"_

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just a little stuck right now," she assured the worried redhead.

 _"Alright, sit tight, kiddo. We're on our way,"_ Tony finally confirmed. For the first time in months, Alex could relax a little, knowing that he was inbound.

"How far out are you?"

_"Almost eight hours, but in a quinjet, I can make it six. Lay low and keep an eye on the sky, okay?"_

"Absolutely. We'll be waiting." The line went dead and a weight fell off of Alex's shoulders.

"So?"

"We're going home."

**-/-/-**

The hours melted away. Hot wax down the side of a candle. Alex itched in anticipation of finally being free from Markus and the facility. The fact that she was mere hours away from being back in her own bed and able to wear her own clothes excited her.

Ben was asleep, it had started to fall dark not long after they'd gotten through to Tony, so they'd agreed to conserve as much energy as possible. Alex had too much pent up nervous energy, so stayed awake, bundled up in the corner.

_So very close to being home again._

The wind and snow howled outside. She'd never hated something more. Cold and uninviting. Alex was better off inside. Though her insides were somersaulting, her eyes grew heavy watching the snow swirl outside the window.

She couldn't tell how long had passed, but she didn't like the deafening silence that swallowed everything. Against her better judgement, she nudged Ben and murmured something about going for a walk before she stood up and pulled a hat over her wily curls.

Crisp air filled her lungs as she shadow-stepped out into the snow-filled night. It was easy to move around at that time of night because the shadows were long and solid. Cast against the pristine snow in a way that reminded Alex of piano keys. Snowflakes stuck to her eyelashes and got caught in her curls, but she didn't care. Despite the fact that she'd grown up in California, the snow didn't bother her as much as she'd thought it would.

Her breath clouded around her face as she exhaled. The wind nipped at her nose and cheeks, burnishing them a pinkish red. When Alex looked up, it took her breath away to see the stars and moon so clearly. Such a celestial sight that she'd never witnessed before and brought her out in goosebumps.

Out of curiosity, she ducked behind one of the last stores on the row and stood in front of a large snowdrift that had accumulated. Alex turned around and let herself fall backwards. Powdered snow was sent in every direction on impact, some of it came back to land on her face and hair. She found it difficult to care that the cold was seeping through her jeans and jacket. Or that her fingers were almost numb and buried beneath small clumps of the disrupted flurries.

A long sigh left her lips, leaving her feeling all the better for it. Alex found the situation strangely invigorating and it seemed to renew her hope, in a bizarre turn of events.

"You did it. You survived." Alex wasn't sure why she felt the need to vocalise those words, but let them hang there in the chilly air. Free to drift away with each exhalation of warm breath. She stayed there for a moment until the back of her clothes were well and truly soaked with cold and caked in snow. When she sat up and shook it off, a strange rumbling sound met her ears.

A familiar rumble.

Alex scanned the sky above her and saw the faintest trace of a quinjet engine. Frantic, she pushed herself to her feet and took off in a run back to Ben. She flung the door open and began excitedly shaking him awake.

"What? What's going on?"

"Our ride's here." They left behind their few _borrowed_ necessities and took off in a run together. The two of them kicked up snow in their wake and nearly slipped over a few times in their eagerness to get to the quinjet, but they were elated.

Finally free.

The quinjet landed near what they'd assumed to be an old common green. The bay door opened and several figures emerged.

A flash of an arc reactor.

The glint of a painted shield.

"Come on!" Alex urged as they got closer, stumbling their way closer.

"Alex?" Tony's voice called out and only spurred her on.

"Hey! Over here!" The brunette frantically began waving her arms above her head as she got closer.

Then, all at once, they collided in a long-anticipated hug. Tears rolled down Alex's cheeks without consideration for the cold tracks they left in their wake. The relief of finally being in safe arms came crashing on to Alex and they sunk to the floor.

"Hey, hey, I've got you. You're okay," Tony assured her gently as he hugged her back. Alex sobbed harder and refused to let him go.

"I'm sorry, Dad - I'm so, _so_ sorry, I didn't mean for any of this to happen -" she choked out as he stood up, carrying her weight with relative ease. Through the tears, Alex also noticed Nat was in the pilot's seat.

Tony took a seat on the far bench, Steve and Ben opposite them. As she began to calm down, Alex couldn't fight off the exhaustion any longer. With Tony's words of reassurance and safety in her ear, she allowed herself to slip into the deepest sleep she'd been afforded in months.

"It's good to have you back, sweetheart."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost two years later, in 2014, Alex made the decision to move to Washington DC. Under the watchful eyes of Steve and Nat, she finds it fairly easy to reintegrate into civilian life, even though disaster is right around the corner. It's nice to be surrounded by familiar faces when everything still feels wrong. A mission alongside Nat and Steve is all it takes to convince Alex that the hero life is what she wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, flashback/dream sequence, references to previous bullying/physical injuries inflicted by peers, hostage situation, canon-level violence

****

**"TONY, I'M FINE, I SWEAR,"** Alex assured her anxious parental unit over the phone. Presently, she had the device balanced between her ear and her shoulder as she hefted the last of the boxes into the kitchen. The apartment she'd scored herself in DC was comfortable and five minutes away from Steve's place.

 _"You're four hours away in a different state, on your own. I have every right to be worried,"_ he shot back and Alex stifled a laugh.

"You make it sound like I'm constantly in danger. Relax. I am _fine_. I'm just about to finish unpacking my kitchen," she informed her greying predecessor.

 _"Yeah, well, in case it escaped your memory, the last time you were left unsupervised, we lost you for six months,"_ Tony remarked and Alex rolled her eyes. Her bones ached at the mention of what happened.

"You're right, how could I possibly forget about being kidnapped, tortured and experimented on for six months?" The scathing sarcasm didn't go amiss.

 _"Just... Please stay in touch, for my sake if no one else's?"_ the older man bargained as Alex put the first box on to the nearest counter and opened the lid.

"Promise." They signed off and hung up. It had been almost a full year since the team recovered her from the base she was being held at. In between times, Tony took down The Mandarin, which turned out to actually be someone he used to know, vaguely. Whilst Pepper and Tony retreated to New York, Alex had opted to hide out in DC. Initially, she'd wanted Miami or somewhere a little warmer, but she rationalised that it was safer in DC, because she was within walking distance of Steve's place. A last-minute safety measure that wasn't planned, but accepted.

Alex put some music on as soon as she dug out her Bluetooth speaker and occupied herself with unpacking as much as possible. The heavy bass of the RnB and Hip Hop that resonated from the speaker distracted the brunette just enough to make the task pleasant.

As the hip-moving tunes changed to a more West Coast-vibe, Alex had finished unpacking the kitchen. She took it upon herself to put several - _precautionary_ \- safety measures in and around the newly furnished apartment. A handgun under the sink. Another in the bedside table. The tin box containing fake IDs and a couple of different passports went on the top shelf of her wardrobe, under her old Midtown Science sweatshirt.

Alex hated the paranoia. The constant need to look over her shoulder to be sure she was alone. It was ridiculous that two short years ago she had nothing to fear. She had no powers or borderline PTSD weighing her down. Her wallowing was cut short by her phone ringing.

"Go for Stark," she greeted without checking the caller ID. A bemused chuckle was heard from the other end.

 _"Hey, you're not busy are you?"_ the voice of Nat questioned.

"Never for you," Alex teased with a grin as she perched atop the closest countertop.

_"Good. We've got a job. Tonight. You've been officially cleared long enough to join us. Want in?"_

"Oh, of course. When should I be ready?"

 _"I'll be outside your place in fifteen. Pack a bag, grab your suit and lock your door on the way out,"_ the redhead assassin instructed and Alex hopped down with a giddy feeling. Her first official mission with the team.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be waiting." Almost bursting with excitement, Alex hurried to her bedroom and found her most suitable duffel bag. She threw a few clean t-shirts and a pair of jeans in, followed by her lucky Converse and her tactical suit. With her emergency toiletries, phone, headphones and charger thrown in last, she was ready to go. She locked up and headed down to the front door of the building to wait for her favourite Russian.

True to her word, fifteen minutes later, a sleek sports car rolled to a stop at the curb. The passenger-side window opened and the familiar redhead leant over the centre console.

"Need a ride?"

"Sure do," Alex played along as she opened the door and pushed the passenger seat forward to climb into the backseat. It was a cosy fit but she didn't complain. Through the small windows in the back, she watched the scenery roll by as Nat put her foot to the floor. Eventually, they rolled to a stop curbside to a patch of grass and a tree. They weren't far from the Washington Monument. Alex forced herself forward between the front seats and saw a man sat at the base of the tree, talking to the instantly recognisable broad-shouldered blonde.

Both Steve and the stranger headed towards the car.

"Hey fellas. Do either one of you know where the Smithsonian is?" Nat greeted and Alex piped up.

"We're here to pick up a fossil." The shit-eating grin that was plastered on Alex's face when she delivered the line made Steve's reaction worth it.

"Hilarious, both of you," Steve remarked as he made his way to the car door and pulled it open. As Alex sat back in her seat, he said something to the stranger before he sat in the front passenger seat.

"Anyone'd think you missed us, Spangles," Alex teased as they peeled away from the curb. The blonde huffed out a laugh and nodded sarcastically. It felt good to be back in his company and as they headed to the airstrip, Nat gave them a speedrun of the debrief so they were at least semi-prepared for the mission ahead.

**-/-/-/-**

Hours later, well after dark, the trio was on a quinjet racing over the Indian Ocean. Respectively, they were all suited up and as they approached their target, Rumlow called them all together. Alex wasn't fond of Brock Rumlow. He struck her as the obnoxious type, based solely on one previous encounter. She always felt uncomfortable with the way he looked her up and down and the way he tried to belittle her with his words, just because he was older and supposedly more qualified.

"The target is a mobile satellite launch platform, The _Lemurian_ _Star_. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them, ninety-three minutes ago," Rumlow began and they followed along with his actions on the touchscreen monitor in front of them.

"Any demands?" Steve questioned with a tip of his chin.

"Billion and a half." Alex winced silently at the ludicrously high ransom price.

"Why so steep?" The question left the young brunette's mouth before she could stop it.

"Because it's S.H.I.E.L.D's." Rumlow's reply didn't sit right with Steve, Alex could feel it in the air and the Captain's change of body language.

"So it's not off-course. It's trespassing," the stoic blonde stated with a resigned tilt of his head.

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Nat mused as she bit at one of her nails.

"Y' know, I'm getting a little tired of being Fury's janitor." Alex could sympathise with Steve on that. It didn't seem fair. 

"Relax. It's not that complicated." Nat was quick to jump in and soothe the Captain, though he didn't seem to buy it. Despite the obvious reservations towards the mission, the discussion continued without missing a beat.

"How many pirates?" Steve enquired and Rumlow changed the screen.

"Twenty-five. All led by this guy; Georges Batroc. Ex-DGSE. Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilised him he had thirty-six kill missions."

"That guy has a rep for maximum casualties -" Alex stopped when Rumlow, Steve and Nat turned to look at her "- What? I did my reading." Rumlow gave the young brunette a questionable glance but said nothing and moved on.

"Hostages?" At Steve's question, Rumlow flicked the screen and a few dozen profiles appeared on the screen.

"Mostly techs, one officer. Jasper Sitwell." He enlarged Sitwell's profile so they could all get a good look at his face.

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Steve verbalised aloud whilst checking the cuffs of his suit, "Alright, Stark and I are gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, you kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages. Get 'em out. Let's move."

They all dispersed and prepared to disembark. Whilst Alex made some last-minute adjustments to her tactical suit and grabbed a parachute, she couldn't help but overhear a - clearly not private - conversation between Nat and Steve.

"- You know, if you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she'd probably say yes." A discomfort took over Alex as Steve seemed to consider Nat's words before he formed a reply. The bay doors opened as they approached.

"That's why I don't ask," Steve stated, securing his caul as he headed to the open doors.

"Too shy, or too scared?" Nat teased and Alex tried to push the invasive feelings out of the way, in favour of focusing on their mission at hand.

"Too busy!" Steve replied over his shoulder as he simply walked off the lip of the door. In an instant, he was gone, disappeared into the low-sitting clouds.

"Are you really trying to play matchmaker right now, Romanoff?" Alex asked incredulously as she secured her parachute and then her ponytail.

"Eh, it keeps the job interesting," the redhead shrugged in reply before Rumlow stepped forward, eyes fixed on the open bay doors where Steve had stood just moments before.

"Was he wearing a parachute?"

"Nope," Alex replied with a shake of her head before following after him. As she descended, the wind roared in her ears, she spotted Steve several feet below her and a little way in front. Alex left it as late as possible to open her parachute and was quick to get out of it when she hit the water. The icy waves were welcomed against her hot skin as she swam after Steve, towards the shadow of the ship's hull.

 _"You're playing with the big kids now, Alex, how does it feel?"_ Nat's voice spoke coyly in her ear and Alex sighed as she spat out a mouthful of water.

"Terrible," she remarked sarcastically in reply before she turned to Steve.

"I'll meet you up there, Spangles." With a Cheshire cat grin, she melted into the shadows. A cold ripple hit her skin and when she opened her eyes, she was on board the ship, hidden in a broad shadow. Whilst she worked on getting rid of the armed guards patrolling one end, Steve worked the opposite end.

Initially, her search was fruitless. Until she happened upon a guard walking away from her. Alex took a deep breath before running at him and subduing him almost completely soundlessly. As she lowered him to the floor, the brunette did a search of her surroundings for any more she could take on.

Three adversaries later, Alex was making her way to the middle of the ship when she came across Steve, completely wiping the floor with the handful of guards he'd taken on. From the balustrade above, she watched in awe as he took them all down. In seconds, she appeared from the shadows below and rejoined the stars and stripes-clad hero.

"Looks like you were doing alright without me, _Rubio_ ," she teased as they power-walked along. Before he could remark, an uncounted extra guard appeared and held a gun to them both. Neither one of them made any attempt to fight, though they didn't have to as Rumlow shot him as he came into land, his parachute billowing out behind him.

"Thanks," Steve quipped with a nod to the black-clad merc.

"Yeah. You both seemed pretty helpless without me." Alex ignored Rumlow's response in favour of watching Nat land on the deck and shed her parachute. The redhead didn't miss a beat before she fell in-step with Alex and Steve.

"What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you? She seems kind of nice." Alex loved Nat, she really did, but times like these made her worry that things would go awry whilst the assassin was in two different mindsets.

"Secure the engine room, then find me a date," Steve ordered and Alex was relieved that he wasn't in the mood to play along with Nat's shenanigans.

"I'm multitasking!" the redhead exclaimed as she jumped over a railing and disappeared out of sight. Alex felt herself relax a little more.

"So, what's the play from here?" The youngest agent questioned as they rounded a corner and continued their sweep.

"Try to keep up." Steve's words put a smile on her face as he took a running jump to scale the nearest wall to the platform above. Alex chuckled under her breath and simply stepped into the nearest shadow. She emerged on the platform with Steve, who still seemed to be surprised by her new abilities. Whilst Rumlow and the rest of the STRIKE team got into position, Alex and Steve took up a hiding place not far from Batroc's main quarters. Over the comms, the targets were confirmed and everyone was in position.

"Natasha, what's your status?" Steve questioned in a low whisper. Alex kept her back pressed against the slightly dimpled metal column they were hiding behind. No reply came from the renowned assassin.

"Status, Natasha," he tried again before a reply finally came through.

 _"Hang on!"_ It wasn't hard for Alex to imagine Nat below deck, kicking ass in her usual fashion.

 _"Engine room secure,"_ she eventually confirmed and both Steve and Alex let out quiet sighs of relief.

"On my mark," Steve warned in a hushed tone, "Three... Two... One." The kevlar-clad super soldier took off in a sprint and launched his shield at the window where Batroc was stood. Alex hastily followed after him as he climbed through the shattered window. Whilst Steve took off after Batroc, Alex was set to meet up with Rumlow and the hostages to get them off the ship.

 _"Hostages en route to extraction. Romanoff missed the rendezvous point. Hostiles are still in play,"_ Rumlow informed them over the comms and Alex grew concerned.

"I'll look for Nat," Alex offered before she disappeared into a shadowy corridor.

 _"Batroc's on the move, both of you need to circle back to protect Rumlow and the hostages,"_ Steve instructed breathlessly before the comms went quiet.

"Alright, I'll circle back to Rumlow, but I'm still gonna look for Nat along the way," Alex insisted as she turned back and stepped into a particularly dark shadow. The next step she took was into the corridor with Rumlow and the hostages. The tactician acknowledged her with a curt nod as he kept his gun raised. Altogether, they moved through the corridors to the extraction point. The metal on metal creaking sent shivers across Alex's skin.

Somewhere above them, an explosion rumbled and the ship creaked even louder. Alex wasn't a fan of what that implied but tried not to think about it. The achy brunette pushed on and wanted nothing more than to get the hostages to safety.

**-/-/-/-**

They just about all made it out and in one piece. Whilst the freed hostages were sent ahead, Steve, Alex and Nat journeyed back on the quinjet they initially travelled in. It was abundantly clear to the youngest of the three that something had happened and driven a wedge between Nat and Steve. The pair seemed to be sulking with one another and on the ride back to DC not a single word was exchanged between them.

"So, you speak French but you don't speak Spanish?" Alex eventually broke the silence by questioning Steve. He looked up at her, confused.

"Is that a problem?" Alex shrugged and sat forward. She'd peeled the top half of her tactical suit open in favour of sitting in a baggy t-shirt and the bottom half of her suit for the ride back.

"No - not at all. Just doesn't make sense."

"How?"

"Well, approximately two-hundred and seventy-five million people speak French across the globe, however, five-hundred and seventy-two million people speak Spanish. Four-hundred and seventy-seven million speak it as a first language. I'm one of them," the young girl rattled off the numbers like they were common knowledge and that seemed to surprise Steve.

"Did you just know those numbers off the top of your head?"

"Yeah, what about it?" It was Alex's turn to be confused. Steve just shook his head and fought off a growing smile as he looked away.

"You're a league of your own, Stark," he remarked as he removed his gloves and undid the top panel of his own suit. Beneath the navy blue material, he sported a sinfully tight-fitted Under Armor t-shirt. Presumably for modesty's sake. A slightly more comfortable silence settled over the quinjet as the tension melted away, partly thanks to Alex's efforts.

No matter how desperately she wanted to sleep, Alex let Tony know she was okay first and then she settled into her seat. With her arms folded across her chest, Alex drifted off without much effort.

_"Mija, what happened?" her mother fussed as Alex stepped in the door. With a shaky sigh, she dropped her bag and kept quiet._

_"Alex, who did this to you?" The older woman hurried over and caught her chin between her thumb and index finger. Carefully, she tipped Alex's face into the light. The angry red scratches down her left cheek seemed to glow under the lights. There was a shadow of a bruise around her eye and a cut on her bottom lip. Her jeans were ripped in one knee, which was bleeding profusely underneath._

_"No one, Mamá," the younger brunette replied weakly as she tried to worm her way out of her mother's grasp._

_"No, no this wasn't no one, Alex, what happened?" the greying older woman pushed and Alex sighed._

_"Algunas chicas, en la escuela," **some girls at school** , she finally admitted and her mother seemed to boil over. Immediately she disappeared into the kitchen cursing in Spanish until the air turned blue._

_"I am going to call the school and have those girls suspended -"_

_"_ _Mamá, please don't!" The older woman turned to face her with a deep-etched frown._

_"Why not, Mija?! They ganged up on you and you're hurt because of them!"_

_"Porque, they'll know I snitched and it'll only make it worse!" the tired teen argued and that seemed to be enough. With a deep sigh, her mother stepped closer and put her hands on Alex's shoulders._

_"It won't be like this forever, Bebita. I promise," she consoled the bruised girl with a reassuring smile. Alex forced a tight-lipped smile in reply before letting herself get pulled in for a full-body hug._

_"I know. Lo sé, Mamá," Alex assured her mother as a kiss was pressed to the crown of her head. Truthfully, even at fourteen, Alex had become accustomed to the seemingly ritual catfights she found herself getting caught in. It wasn't an intentional habit she made, but no matter how she tried to defend herself, she always came out looking worse._

Alex woke with a slight bump. As she forced her eyes open, it became apparent that she'd fallen asleep against something firm, but strangely comfortable. A glance through heavy lashes revealed her leaning post to be Steve. Abruptly, she sat up and cleared her throat whilst rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty, enjoy your nap?" Nat teased with a quirk of a perfectly plucked auburn eyebrow. Alex replied with a silent, pointed look at the Russian before she settled back into her seat. A side-glance at Steve and she noted how he sat up with a slight groan and stretched out his arms.

"Sorry - for falling asleep on you," the brunette apologised quietly as someone informed them they were coming in to land at the Triskelion.

"Don't worry about it." There was a teasing pull of a smile on the Captain's lips as everyone began to prepare to disembark.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following their return to DC, Alex accompanies Steve to Fury's office. There's a mutual agreement that something's not quite right and neither of them knows who can be trusted. Whilst decompressing after their mission, Alex witnesses a bone-chilling news report that throws everything she thought she knew into question. A surprising new face steps in to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): Nick gets attacked, brief descriptions of panic/anxiety, mild language, brief descriptions of physical injuries (if I missed anything, let me know!)

**ONCE THEY'D LANDED SAFELY AND STEPPED OFF THE QUINJET, A DEBRIEF WAS IN ORDER.** Alex had only been to the Triskelion building twice before and neither of those experiences was particularly fun or worthwhile.

Steve had made it clear he wanted to talk to Fury and had hinted to Alex that she should come with him during the first 30-minute stretch of the flight back. So, dutifully, Alex almost had to jog to keep up with his large strides as they made their way to Fury's office on one of the upper floors.

"I don't have to say anything, do I? Because I'd rather not. Fury's not exactly my friend since I forced my way into this organisation and the Avenger's Initiative," Alex fretted as Steve marched down the corridor.

"No, you don't. I just need someone else with me that was there." Alex could accept that as a decent answer and remained quiet as Steve burst into Director Fury's office. Aggravated would be an understatement.

"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" The words flew from the Captain's mouth coated in venom. It was clear that he wasn't in the mood to build-up to the desired topic.

"I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours," Nick stated simply from his position at his desk.

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share."

"I'm not _obliged_ to do anything," the Director countered smoothly and turned to face the duo as they stopped in front of his desk and windows.

"Those hostages could've died Nick," Steve reiterated as if he hadn't driven his point home enough.

"I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen." It was clear that Fury was trying to deescalate the situation before it turned hostile, but it wasn't working very well.

" _Soldiers_ trust each other. That's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around shooting guns." Alex admitted silently that Steve made a very valid argument and didn't see how Fury could talk his way around what had happened.

"Last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye -" Fury stood up and leant forward against his desk "- Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything."

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own," the Captain defended with a stony glare.

"It's called compartmentalisation. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all."

"Except you," Alex couldn't help but blurt out the thought that plagued her brain. Both sets of eyes looked at her in disbelief.

"Anyway, you're wrong about me. I _do_ share. I'm nice like that," Fury retorted with an unparalleled attitude. In some kind of wordless agreement, Nick and Steve headed to the door. Alex figured that was her cue to use her powers to follow along until they got in the elevator and she stopped. The AI in the elevator would sense her in there in a heartbeat.

"I'll - Yeah, I'll catch up with you guys later," she called after them before she let out an exasperated sigh. She decided to cheat and shadow-walked to the ground floor.

The walk from the Triskelion to her apartment wasn't a big one, so Alex took the time to enjoy the dry weather and walked. As she moved through the streets of DC, her phone began to ring from inside the pocket of her duffel bag. A glance at the screen told Alex it was Tony and she broke into a grin before answering.

"Hey, if you're planning to call every single morning in hopes that I move back to New York, you're not doing a great job at the moment," she teased with a smile as she slung her bag back over her shoulder.

_"Hilarious. I just wanted to check in, touch base. How are things?"_

" _Things_ are fine, thanks for asking. We're all safely on the ground -"

_"Who's 'we'?"_

"Steve, Nat, the STRIKE team and I. Pirates hijacked a ship from S.H.I.E.L.D.," the Stark prodigy explained animatedly as she reached the street before hers.

_"Sounds absolutely thrilling. You're okay? Everyone came out in one piece, right?"_

"Of course. Not that I'd tell you if we hadn't, wouldn't want you to have a heart attack or anything, would we?" she jested lightly as she finally approached her building and fished her keys out of her bag.

 _"Rude. I'm just gonna pretend you didn't say that. You still on speaking terms with Wonder Boy?"_ Apparently, it was Tony's turn to tease as she entered the stairwell and began the trek up to her floor.

"Of course. Steve seems to be doing alright. But I don't want to talk about him with you - no offence - it's just a little weird is all." A hearty laugh was heard on the other end and Alex smiled as she finally stopped in front of her door and pushed the key into the lock. Once inside, she dropped her bag by the bedroom door and moved to the windows. Alex made herself comfortable on the windowsill, the phone still pressed to her ear.

_"Right, of course. Where are you now? Are you at HQ or still on the quinjet or what?"_

"I just got in," a pause followed before Alex sighed and straightened up slightly, "I miss you. I miss Pepper. DC is nice, but it's not New York." The confession rendered both parties silent. The wallclock seemed to tick obnoxiously loud and the cars on the street below created a veil of white noise for Alex.

 _"We miss you too, kid. It's not the same without you here. But your room is always open if you ever want to come back,"_ Tony's words brought some level of comfort to Alex and she appreciated the sentiment.

" _Dios Mio_ , you're gonna make me cry." An uncomfortable lump forced its way up her throat and she swallowed it back.

_"Just, look after yourself, Alex."_

"I will. Don't worry. Alright, I'm sure you have a whole bunch of things to be doing, so I'm gonna let you get on with them. I'll call you later on, tonight if anything else happens," the younger brunette offered as she drew a smiley face in the condensation on the windowpane.

 _"Sure. Talk to you soon."_ Once she'd hung up, Alex took a deep breath and stepped down from the windowsill. She needed a shower, so she made sure the door was locked before she padded through to the bathroom. Once her phone was connected to her waterproof speaker, Alex queued the music and went through the motions of getting ready.

She turned the water on and stepped out of her tactical suit and t-shirt. Once her clothes were heaped into the laundry hamper, Alex stepped under the high-pressure spray. All the previous aches and pains from the mission melted away. The gold Virgin Mary pendant around her neck glittered under the bright light of her shower. It was one of the few things that had once belonged to her mother. A reminder of a past life. Who she used to be.

Alex took full advantage of having an apartment to herself and stretched out the shower for as long as she wanted. Her 90s playlist played at a comfortable volume and echoed slightly off the smooth tile walls. Whilst running her fingers through her slicked-back, darkened tendrils of hair, she hummed along to the sounds of JaRule and the likes.

When she was done, Alex shut the water off and reached for her fluffy robe and a towel for her hair. Once dried off and her hair secured atop her head in a towel, she stepped out and brushed her teeth. With very little thought required, Alex completed most of her post-shower routine with ease and by the time she was done, she was practically glowing under the lights of her bathroom.

Alex contemplated her options for how to spend the evening and settled on wearing her favourite pair of sports leggings, a comfortable sports bra and a baggy t-shirt with Tupac's face on the front. Idly, she fixed herself a bowl of cereal and turned the TV on in hopes of creating some white noise in the quiet apartment space.

The sun had since fully come up and shone warmly through the large windows, casting golden rectangles across the carpet and furniture. Alex found the situation oddly calming. No mission. No bad guys to catch or hostages to save. For now, at least, her work was done. She had time to unwind and decompress. As the credits for a show she'd never heard of rolled up the screen, an idea came to mind.

 _"- And now, the morning news with Hal Roberts -"_ Alex finished her cereal and set the bowl down on the coffee table before she reached for her phone. There was a momentary internal battle, which was over almost as soon as it began.

"It's just a text. An invitation. No big deal," she assured herself as she selected Steve's name and began to type out a message. After a brief review, Alex deemed it a satisfactory message and pressed the 'send' button.

**_Hey, movie night tonight if ur not busy? Takeout on me :) - A_ **

She locked the screen and set it back down on the coffee table in anticipation of his reply. The news still droned on and Alex struggled to understand what they were talking about, or why it was deemed big enough to make local news at all. Her phone lit up with a text notification and almost immediately she fumbled to unlock the device and read what the message said.

**_I'd love to, but I have some errands to run and a prior commitment. Sorry Alex - S_ **

Though Alex was disheartened, she couldn't hold it against Steve. She shrugged it off and tapped out a reply.

**_Sure, no sweat. Just text me later so I know ur home safe :) - A_ **

With a defeated sigh, Alex discarded her phone and decided to spend some time cleaning and reorganising the furniture in the apartment. She wasn't sure it was a good idea, but it was something to keep her busy all the same.

**-/-/-**

As the evening drew in, Alex was considerably happier with her interior decorating choices and the new layout of her furniture. Over the course of the hours that had ticked away, Alex had reorganised her furniture, done some yoga, spoken to some of the team that wasn't in DC and made herself a hearty lunch.

The overactive brunette had taken up a seat on the sofa and turned the TV back on for the late-afternoon news. What flashed across her screen sent her heart to her feet. A police chase through the streets of DC, following a battered black Chevy SUV.

" _Mierda_ ," Alex cursed harshly as she sat forward and fixed her gaze to the footage they were playing.

 _"Whilst the driver has not yet been positively identified, police can confirm that an African American male between the ages of forty and fifty is behind the wheel. Officers are in a showdown with the driver and by the looks of things are about to open fire on the vehicle -"_ the female news anchor reported over the top of the footage and Alex swallowed thickly.

Nervous, she pulled her phone out of her sports bra - where she'd put it for safekeeping whilst moving furniture - and sent a flurry of texts to Steve.

**_Hey, are you watching the news?_ **

**_Steve, something's wrong._ **

**_Call me._ **

**_Let me know you're ok_ **

**_Steve, I swear you better give me a sign ur ok or I'm walking to ur apartment and kicking ur ass_ **

**_I think Nick's in trouble._ **

**_Please pick up! - A_ **

Transfixed on the TV, Alex watched as the SUV crashed and stopped sharply. Police cars surrounded the battered vehicle, weapons drawn and raised. The film crew got as close as they could to show the public the police officers opening fire on the blacked-out vehicle, just as the news anchor had predicted.

In abject horror and morbid fascination, Alex found herself unable to look away from the screen. The windshield of the SUV was covered in spiderweb-fractures that rendered it useless. The sides and windows much the same, peppered with bullet holes. Sparks flew off the sleek black vehicle as the police continued to shoot at it.

"Nick if that _is_ you in there, what the Hell are you playing at?"

When she thought it couldn't get any worse, the police officers stopped shooting to allow the SWAT team to move in. Between three of them, they carried a pneumatic battering ram. The kind that screws itself into the floor for stabilisation. Alex's heart was in her throat and her pulse raced in her ears as she watched on.

The first hit from the battering ram was almost enough to flip the vehicle over. Alex's stomach lurched. A moment of reprieve followed. Another sickening strike. The way the news was trying to sensationalise the story made her beyond mad. That could very well be her boss in that car and they're making _him_ out to be the bad guy. That didn't sit right with Alex.

A third strike landed and just when they were winding up for a fourth, the window shattered from the inside out. A hail of bullets returned to the police officers from what Alex guessed was an automatic machine gun. It _had_ to be Nick in that car. Alex was relieved to see the SUV work itself free from the police car sandwich it had been trapped in and sped off down the street.

The news crew tried to follow it as best as possible but had to switch to aerial coverage. From the helicopter, it was clear to see that the car was moving in a hurry through the early evening traffic. There was little consideration for the other drivers on the road, but that was forgivable, given the circumstances.

A glance at her phone told her Steve hadn't replied. More worryingly, he hadn't even _seen_ the messages she'd sent and that only made her panic more. On-screen, it appeared that the Chevy bullied the other cars out of the way to cause a roadblock for the police vehicles that were tailing him. When it became clear that they wouldn't catch him on foot, the police officers got out of their vehicles and tried to shoot at Nick and the SUV.

The chase continued, the vehicles wove their way through traffic. Alex knew it was Nick when he managed to handbrake-spin the Chevy around to throw one of the police officers through a wall of glass before carrying on. It was clear that he was only trying to get out of sight of the officers, but was having no such luck. Alex decided to call Steve and at the very least, leave a voicemail.

 _"Hi, this is Steve, sorry I can't come to the phone right now, leave your message and number and I'll try to get back to you,"_ his answering machine instructed whilst Alex's eyes never left the TV screen.

"Hi, Steve? It's Alex. Something's happening right now and I don't know if you're aware or not but I think Fury's in trouble. He's being shot at and chased through DC, it's all over the news. Please, just let me know you're okay." As she hung up the pace changed yet again. more damage and injury were inflicted as the chase continued. Alex flinched as she watched two of the police cars go hurtling into an intersection, only to get wiped out by a truck at full speed.

When things seemed to be looking up for Nick, the helicopter footage zoomed in on the street the Chevy had turned down. There was a person in the middle of the road. Mouth slightly agape, Alex watched as they raised their arm and fired something at the Chevy. Whatever it had been exploded almost immediately. A noise somewhere between a gasp and a cry ripped itself from Alex's throat as she watched the SUV flip in a cloud of black smoke and skid a couple of hundred yards before coming to a halt.

Before they could see anything else, the footage cut away to the anchors back in the studio. Alex remained in shock. Mouth dry. Mind reeling. Had she really just witnessed an assassination on live TV? The assassination of her boss no less?

Alex turned the TV off, in favour of trying to process what she'd just witnessed. Hours passed by and she still couldn't understand. It got dark outside and Alex only realised that fact after she tried to pour herself a glass of water, only to find herself fumbling around in the dark. Once she'd turned on a few lights, she felt a little less on edge, but still not great.

Eventually, when Alex was on the very precipice of losing her mind, Steve's name flashed on her phone screen. With a sigh of relief, she answered and immediately moved to the bedroom, away from the large, gaping windows.

"Y' know, normally when someone texts you half a dozen times and leaves you a voicemail, it's usually a sign that you need to answer them. What's going on?"

 _"It's a little complicated. There's been a change of plans, why don't you come over for that movie night, as you wanted?"_ Though she was relieved to hear his voice, there was something strained in the words that pushed her to believe that there was more he wanted to say, but couldn't over the phone.

"Oh - alright. Sure, when do you want me to -"

 _"Now, if you're not already busy. I could really do with seeing you."_ Now she knew something was _definitely_ wrong. Never, in the time she'd known Steve, would he ever admit such a thing over the phone or even face to face. The discomfort that settled on the shadow-travelling twenty-year-old made her slightly nauseous.

"Sure. I'll pack a bag and be with you in five?"

 _"Alright. Buzz the door when you arrive,"_ Steve instructed and hung up. Immediately, Alex pulled a duffel bag out of her wardrobe and threw in several clean t-shirts and hoodies, a leather jacket, two pairs of black ripped jeans, a pair of aviator sunglasses, a baseball cap and an extra pair of shoes. From the bathroom, she plucked her toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush and a razor from the cabinet under the sink. After making sure she had her phone and phone charger, she was set.

In a whirlwind of motion, Alex rushed to the door and locked it once she was certain she had everything, she took off in a run to the bottom of the building. Once she was out in the brisk DC night air, she didn't find it hard to locate a dark enough shadow to step into. When she stepped out, she was directly in front of Steve's building. As per the super-soldiers instructions, she buzzed the door comm before waiting to be let in.

"Hey, what the Hell is going on?" the brunette questioned as they shared a brief hug and Steve led the way to his apartment door.

"My neighbour just told me I left my stereo playing," he stated in a low whisper.

"And what's so suspicious about that?"

"I _didn't_ leave my stereo playing. I can't remember the last time I even listened to that record," Steve explained and a chilled finger ran down Alex's spine which made her shiver.

"You think it might be -"

"I don't know what to think. I just thought you'd be safer here with me than on your own."

"It's a good thing I trust your judgement." Without another word, the duo moved forward and tipped their heads towards the door. Sure enough, war-time jazz played at a moderate volume and filled the apartment. It wasn't Alex's go-to genre but any other day she would've commented on the pleasing aspects of the music.

"This way." Steve took Alex by surprise when he headed for one of the fire escapes instead. Without question, Alex followed behind him and they circled the outside of the building, on the roof. When they stopped at Steve's apartment, he eased one of the windows open as carefully as he could manage. In tandem, they climbed through the small portal and into the soldier's apartment. Alex had only been inside once when she first considered moving to DC and after seeing the space and layout he had, it finalised the decision for her.

On their way through, Steve picked up his shield and readied himself for a fight. Slowly, they peeked around the corner and both breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a very much alive Nick Fury sat in one of the armchairs. The pair were able to relax for a moment and get to the bottom of what was happening.

"I don't remember giving you a key." Director Fury grunted in response and forced himself into an upright position.

"You really think I'd need one?"

"Man makes a fair point," Alex admitted quietly from behind Steve's shoulder before she stepped into view of the older man.

"My wife kicked me out."

"I didn't know you were married," Steve stated in a half-condolence, he remained in his original position at the corner of the wall, not wanting to move any closer.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me."

"We know, Nick. That's the problem," the Puerto Rican brunette scoffed with a roll of her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. Steve finally caved and stepped closer, he flicked a lamp on and revealed the extent of his injuries to the two of them. Alex had to bite the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from exclaiming too loudly. Before either of them could question him, he held up a hand and turned the lamp off again.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but I had no place else to crash," he apologised whilst typing something on his phone. He turned the screen around and revealed his real message to the two antsy superheroes.

**_Ears everywhere. S.H.I.E.L.D compromised._ **

"Who else knows about your wife?" Steve questioned and Fury forced himself to stand up as he typed out another answer.

"Just... My friends." **_The three of us._**

"Is that what we are? Friends?"

"That's up to you," Nick stated as he clutched at his ribs. Alex's brain was running a mile a minute with no signs of slowing down. There was so much information to process that she started to feel the onset of a headache coming through. It ebbed at the front of her skull. No one could say anything more before three bullets ripped through the wall and punctured Fury, sending him crashing to the floor.

" _Mierda!_ " Alex cursed as she helped Steve drag him around the corner, out of sight from the window. When they'd gotten him into the kitchen, Steve went to walk away, but Fury caught him by the wrist. With a ragged breath and a wet cough, he spoke one last time.

"Don't trust... Anyone." Both of them were surprised to see him hand Steve a flash drive before going limp. Behind them, the apartment door burst open and a voice called out.

"Captain Rogers?"

"Who's that?"

"My neighbour," he assured her calmly as a blonde woman came into view, gun raised as a precaution.

"I'm Agent Thirteen of S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Service," she explained with a nervous glance at Alex.

"Kate?" Steve seemed confused and rightly so.

"I was assigned to protect you," the scrub-donning woman stated simply as she holstered her weapon and entered the kitchen. Alex noticed how she blanched at the sight of Fury on the floor.

"On who's orders?" Steve demanded.

"His." She pulled a walkie talkie out of her waistband and knelt next to Fury. Felt for his pulse with a neatly manicured hand before calling out for EMTs over the radio.

 _"Do we have a twenty on the shooter?"_ a voice replied and Steve readjusted the strap of his shield around his forearm.

"Tell them I'm in pursuit." Alex didn't have time to tell him how suicidal that was, because he was already gone when she looked up from Fury's unconscious body.

"He's gonna make it, right?" the younger woman questioned as she joined Agent Thirteen on the floor, wanting to help.

"All we can do is hope. Help me out, would you?" Without further question, Alex followed her instructions to the letter to keep Fury stabilised.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the carnage at Steve's apartment, he, Alex, Nat and Maria face the aftermath. Whilst mourning Fury, Steve and Alex are summoned by Alexander Pierce. A subtle act of deceit splits them up as they leave. What follows is far from how either of them anticipated their day going. It becomes apparent that there's a lot more going on than Alex first thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, mentions of blood, brief descriptions of nausea and anxiety, character "death", Rumlow is lowkey creepy AF, Pierce isn't much better

**WHEN STEVE FINALLY RETURNED, THE EMTS WERE LOADING FURY INTO THE BACK OF AN AMBULANCE.** The woman, who Alex had learned was actually called _Sharon_ , accompanied him and left Alex and Steve to follow behind. Alex had several reservations about ever riding a motorcycle, but at that moment in time, she didn't care. With her bag still on her shoulder, she swung her leg over the back of Steve's bike and held on to him as if her life depended on it. In a twisted sense, it did.

Once at the hospital, they were directed towards the operating theatre Nick was in. Alex wasn't sure if she was thankful that they were able to watch through a window as a dozen surgeons attended to his injuries. Alex didn't care about the bloodied gauze they kept swapping out or the occasional glimpse of internal organs. She was fixed on watching the heart monitor. That steady spike and fall of his heartbeat.

It wasn't until Alex went to chew on a chipped nail that she realised her hands were still covered in his blood. She froze, took a moment to stop herself from throwing up and turned to Steve. In the way, a child fearful of being scolded approaches the babysitter they promised to behave for.

"I need to go wash my hands. I'll be back," she stated quietly before taking off in an almost-powerwalk.

In the ladies restroom, Alex lathered as much soap as she could hold in her hand against the rust-coloured stains on her fingers and palms. She watched as it swirled away in crimson ribbons down the drain. The smell of copper rose to meet her and made her nauseous all over again.

When she returned to Steve, Maria was gone, but Nat had arrived. There was a solemn cloud that hung in the air between them all.

"Is he gonna make it?" Nat questioned frantically as she watched, wide-eyed.

"I don't know," Steve admitted quietly. After a beat of silence, Nat spoke up again, surprising Steve and Alex.

"Tell me about the shooter."

"He's fast. Strong... Had a metal arm," the broad-shouldered blonde replied almost immediately and Alex wasn't comforted by the colour leaving Nat's face. Maria returned and the four of them stood shoulder to shoulder, watching their boss on the operating table. For Alex, it seemed like a sick, twisted nightmare. Any minute now she'd wake up in her apartment.

No matter how many times she pinched herself, she didn't wake up.

"Ballistics?" the redhead to Alex's left questioned, gaze unwavering from the busy operating room.

"Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable," Maria informed them and Alex swallowed thickly.

"Soviet-made," Nat stated quietly. Their attention was brought back to the surgeons as they began pointing to the monitors and talking indistinctly over the top of one another. Alex's heart pushed itself into her throat. She tried her hardest to keep her breathing even and slow. The last thing she wanted - or needed - was a panic attack.

"Don't do this to me, Nick," the redhead pleaded quietly as tears glazed over her jade-green eyes. Alex felt tears of her own form and threaten to spill. They all watched on in sullen silence as they hit him with the defibrillator paddles. Nothing.

They tried again. They injected him with epinephrine and still _nothing_. He was gone. Distraught, Alex turned into Steve's chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. The super-soldier reciprocated and let her sob quietly for a moment before he had to excuse himself.

Nat and Maria were consoling each other and Alex was on the verge of a breakdown. It was just past one in the morning. Nick Fury was dead. There was a mystery shooter on the loose. Alex didn't feel so safe anymore.

A few minutes passed before Alex had to step out into the hallway for a change in scenery. At the end of the corridor, S.H.I.E.L.D techs had congregated and were talking idly between themselves. Alex caught a glimpse of Steve's hair and caught up to him.

"What are you planning to do with _that_?" she questioned with a hoarse voice and a nod to the flash drive in the palm of his hand. The S.H.I.E.L.D logo was printed in the middle and it was a sleek silver colour.

"Not sure yet, " he admitted with a shrug before he began to walk back to the observation room. Fury's body had been released and they found Nat stood with him. He was draped in a plain linen sheet, eyepatch nowhere to be seen. Whilst they all stood in solidarity with one another, Maria returned, no doubt from discussing the course of action with the techs gathered outside.

"I need to take him," she stated simply. Evidence of crying clear on her face. Whilst Steve consoled Nat, Alex took a moment to offer Maria a hug. The older raven-haired woman accepted with a watery smile.

"I'm not going to say I'm sorry, because that's what everyone says. He wasn't just anyone, to us. But I want you to know that I'm here for you."

"Thank you." Maria seemed surprised by Alex's words, but the youngest of the two didn't have time to debate that with herself as Nat all but marched out into the hallway.

"Take care of him," she stated gently before excusing herself to follow after Steve, who'd gone after Nat.

"Why was Fury in your apartment? What were _you_ doing there?" the redhead eventually reeled around to question them. Steve sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know about Fury. Alex and I were planning on having a movie night. Takeout and such," he stated before putting his hands on his hips. Before the conversation could continue, their attention was redirected.

"Cap, Phantom, they want you back at S.H.I.E.L.D.," Brock Rumlow informed the duo.

"Yeah, give us a second," Steve replied before he tried to continue the conversation with Nat.

"They want you both, now," Rumlow insisted and Alex scowled at the kevlar-clad asshole.

"He asked you to give us a second, we're kind of in the middle of a conversation here," Alex interjected with a steely glare. Rumlow looked like he wanted to say something else to the Stark protege, but he held his tongue. For a change.

"You're a terrible liar," Nat accused Steve with a sly look when he turned back to face her. As Nat walked away, Alex noticed the vending machine to their right was getting reloaded. Steve must've seen it too because Alex recognised the lightbulb that lit up above his head. When he was certain the flash drive was safe, Steve gestured for Alex to follow him.

They regrouped with Rumlow and together, they were both escorted out of the building and back to the Triskelion.

**-/-/-**

Back at HQ, now in their full gear, Alex and Steve made their way to the office of one Alexander Pierce. As they approached, Alex noticed that Sharon was talking to the man in question. Though, when they rounded the corner, the conversation was ended and Sharon began to leave, heading the opposite way to them.

"Captain Rogers," she greeted with a pointed smile.

"Neighbour," Steve snarked back in reply, clearly not impressed with the wool that had been pulled over his eyes.

"Oh, Captain, Miss Stark. I'm Alexander Pierce," the greying older man greeted with a smile and a handshake for both of them.

"Sir, it's an honour." From the off, Alex didn't feel right about Pierce. There was something ever so slightly unsettling about him.

"The honour's mine, Captain. My father served in the hundred-and-first. Come on in." He stepped aside and let them into his spacious office. Not surprisingly, it was modelled fairly similarly to Nick's.

As the door clicked shut behind them, they were handed a stack of A4 glossy prints. Thumbing through them, Alex saw some familiar faces and others she'd never seen before.

"That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met when I was at the State Department in Bogota. E.L.N rebels took the embassy and security got me out but the rebels took hostages. Nick was Deputy Chief of the S.H.I.E.L.D station there and he comes to me with a plan. He wants to storm the building through the sewers. I said _no we'll negotiate_. Turned out that the E.L.N didn't negotiate so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement and what do they find? They find it empty," Pierce regaled them with a story and Alex thought he assumed this would earn their trust.

"Sounds tough," Steve admitted with a subtle nod as he set the pictures down.

"Nick disobeyed my direct order and carried out an unauthorised military operation on foreign soil and saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter." The three of them sat on the charcoal-grey sofas. Alex sided with Steve and kept close, out of comfort.

"No offence, Pierce but what's the moral of the story here?" Alex spoke up with a tip of her chin to the older man and Steve leaned forward.

"You gave him a promotion?"

"I never had any cause to regret it. Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night and why was Miss Stark there?"

"I don't know. Alex was there because we'd planned to watch a movie or two together, just unwind after the mission." The Captain lied expertly through his teeth and Alex had a newfound admiration for the patriotic blonde sat to her left.

"Did you know it was bugged?"

"I did because Nick told me," Steve assured the secretary with a nod.

"Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?" This caught them both off-guard and raised more questions.

"Well, why would he do that?" The silence that followed wasn't comforting. Pierce offered Steve a look of - sympathy? Apathy? Alex couldn't decide.

"I want you to see something," Pierce stated as he brought up footage on one of the large display screens. Batroc was sat in front of the camera being interrogated.

"Is that live?" Steve voiced the question that was plaguing Alex.

"Yeah, they picked him up last night. In a not-so-safe house in Algiers."

"Are you saying he's a suspect?" Alex didn't buy it. Something didn't fit. A vital piece of the puzzle was missing.

"Assassination isn't Batroc's style," Steve agreed with the brunette as they continued to watch the feed. The mercenary stayed quiet.

"No, no, it's more complicated than that," the secretary condescended with a shake of his head.

"Then _uncomplicate_ it for us, Mister Secretary," Alex stated firmly with an unwavering stare.

"Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the _Lemurian Star._ He was contacted by email and paid by wire transfer. Then, the money was run through _seventeen_ fictitious accounts. The last one going to a holding company that was registered to Jacob Veech," the straw-blonde man began explaining, the file lay open on his lap before he closed it and handed it over to Steve.

"Are we supposed to know who that is?"

"Not likely, Veech died six years ago. His last address was fourteen-thirty-five Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick, his mother lived at fourteen-thirty-seven."

"You're saying that _Fury_ hired the pirates? Why?" Steve seemed just as surprised as Alex when the connection was made. Alex didn't like where this conversation was going.

"The prevailing theory was that the hijacking operation was a cover for the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour -"

"And Fury died," Alex filled in the blanks for herself and disproved of the theory. It had to be bullshit. It had to be, right?

"If you really knew Nick Fury, you'd know that's not true." Alex nodded along with Steve's statement.

"Why do you think we're talking?"

"I wouldn't exactly call this _talking_ ," Alex mumbled under her breath as Pierce rose to his feet and they followed after him. He stopped in front of the windows and leant against them with one arm, the other was by his side with his hand firmly tucked into his pocket.

"See, I took a seat on the council, not because I wanted to, but because Nick asked me to. We were both realists. We knew that despite all the diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, that to build a _truly_ better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down. And that makes enemies." Something about his words or the icy delivery made Alex extremely uncomfortable. She felt trapped in this monochromatic office with no way out. Discreetly, she tried to reach for Steve's wrist, to tell him that something was wrong, but he paid no attention to her.

"Those people that call you dirty because you got the guts to stick your hands in the mud and try to build something better. And the idea that those people could be happy today, makes me really, really angry," Pierce monologued and turned back to the duo. Alex swallowed thickly and tried not to let the nerves peek through the cracks in her already worn-down facade.

"You were the last two people to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident. And I don't think you do, either. So I'm going to ask again," he paused to step closer to them, Alex shifted uncomfortably, "Why was he there?" A beat.

"He told me not to trust anyone," Steve admitted, posture slightly relaxed and his thumbs looped into his utility belt. Alex thought it made him look _more_ physically intimidating than anything else.

"I wonder if that included him," Pierce mused, probing for more information.

"I'm sorry, those were his _last_ words. Excuse us." Finally, Alex was relieved to step out of that forsaken office and not have to deal with eagle-eyed Pierce watching her every move. As they reached the doors, Pierce spoke up one last time.

"Captain, somebody murdered my friend and I'm gonna find out why. Anyone gets in my way, they're gonna regret it. Anyone." He gave a pointed look to the two of them before letting his words sink in.

"Understood," Steve confirmed before he and Alex were finally allowed to leave. In the corridor, Alex let out a heavy sigh and turned to face him.

"I never thought he'd let us leave. I've got a bad feeling about whatever's going on, Steve," she informed him as they made their way to the elevator. They slowed to a stop at the sleek glass doors and a suit-donning woman stepped out into the corridor, seemingly nervous.

"Miss Phantom - I mean - Miss Stark?" The elevator doors opened and Steve faltered.

"Go ahead, I'll meet you down there," she assured him before she turned back to the woman that had approached her.

"It's my sons birthday tomorrow and he's a big fan, do you think you could sign this for him?" Alex was touched by such a notion.

"Aw, of course, what's his name?" Alex accepted a sharpie and the photo of her son dressed up in costume, presumably from Halloween.

"Jack. He's nine tomorrow," the woman gushed and Alex was all too happy to sign the picture.

"Amazing - Oh, hey, if you want I could record a message for him? Would that be alright?"

"Oh my God, would you? That'd make me the mom of the year," she joked and they swapped the sharpie and picture for a phone.

"Of course!" Alex was so caught up in doing a good deed for the woman that she barely registered the fact that Rumlow and some STRIKE members had boarded the elevator with Steve before the doors closed.

"Alright, it's recording," she informed Alex and the brunette cleared her throat.

"Hi, Jack! It's your friend Alex, The Phantom. A little birdie told me you turn nine tomorrow so I just wanted to say happy birthday - _Feliz_ _compleaños_ \- hope you have a super day!" the woman cheered when she turned the phone off and hugged Alex, taking her by surprise.

"It was great meeting you, thank you again, for the picture and the video." They parted ways and Alex didn't have the patience to wait for the next elevator car, so she shadow-travelled to the ground floor and waited for Steve.

Minutes ticked away. Alex saw no sign of Steve. An awful feeling in the pit of her stomach made itself known. Through the glass ceiling, Alex could just barely make out the elevator car that he was in. It had stopped. That wasn't unusual, someone was probably getting on or had reached their floor. But still, the anxiety gnawed at her insides.

Then, with no warning, the car dropped, way quicker than it should've. Even from the lobby, Alex could see the brakes sparking to try and slow the fall. And it did stop, eventually, between two floors. Still about ten floors away, which did Alex no favours. She was watching, and watching until a figure burst out of the side of the building and fell. As the mystery figure closed in, Alex had the sickening moment of realisation that it was Steve.

He crashed through the ceiling and sent glass everywhere. Everyone else in the vicinity was startled, but not Alex. She rushed forward and helped him to his feet, ignoring the millions of pieces of glass under her boots.

"C'mon, Spangles, on your feet. You've got a lot of explaining to do," she stated as they broke into a run out of the building and to the carport. Alex barely had the time to think before she was haphazardly throwing herself on to the back of a motorbike and they were on their way out. It didn't take long for her to figure out how to actually control and operate the vehicle, but she wasn't happy about it as she sped after Steve.

They made it on to the tarmac but the spikes at the far end of the bridge were raised and a quinjet came whirling into view.

 _"Stand down. I repeat, stand down,"_ a voice commanded but they carried on. Alex mirrored Steve's manoeuvres as they began to shoot at the fleeing duo. Thankfully, Steve's shield broke one of the engines. He vaulted off the moving bike to retrieve it. Alex simply moved her still-speeding bike to the edge and jumped over the concrete ledge.

"Alright, come on, no time to hang around," Alex prompted before they broke into a sprint. once again, Alex was thankful for her foresight as she retrieved her go-bag from a side street not far from her apartment. Steve did the same and the only thing they were missing was a vehicle.

"We've gotta get out of our suits," Steve panted as they made sure all their necessary belongings were still in their bags. Alex didn't have a problem with that and ducked behind the closest dumpster to get changed. She selected a flannel hoodie, a black cropped skin-tight vest top, a pair of black ripped jeans, her comfiest Nikes, a baseball cap and sunglasses. When she was done and she'd slung her duffel bag back over her shoulder, Alex was surprised to see Steve in a hoodie, sweatpants, running shoes and a pair of reading glasses, topped off with a baseball cap of his own.

"Let's make like Harry Houdini and fucking _disappear_ -"

"I've gotta make one stop first," Steve insisted and Alex didn't argue. Though the surprise continued when they wound up back in the hospital they'd been at not twelve hours earlier where they'd witnessed Fury's death.

"I have so many questions," she muttered under her breath as they stepped inside the white-washed hellhole.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they've reunited with Natasha, Steve and Alex must try and figure out why the flash drive was so important. Whilst narrowly avoiding Rumlow and his STRIKE team, the duo has to improvise a plan to fly under the radar. When that leads them to New Jersey, things only get messier and more tangled than they first realised. Alex learns some hard truths, but she doesn't face them alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): mild language, brief talk of hospitals, Zola makes an appearance, an explosion, a kiss, unresolved tension between characters

**INSIDE THE HOSPITAL, STEVE DIDN'T SAY A WORD ONCE THEY'D MADE IT PAST THE FRONT DESK.** Alex struggled to keep up with him but didn't dare complain about trying to match his unequivocally large strides. When he did eventually stop, it was in front of the same vending machine they'd been stood next to the night before. Though something was obviously amiss because whatever Steve was looking for, wasn't there.

Before either of them could come up with a different plan, a familiar redhead appeared in the reflections on the glass. She blew and popped a bright pink bubble with a smug grin on her face. Steve reeled around and pushed her into the nearest empty room. Alex hurried behind them and shut the door, though she kept an eye on the corridor through the slatted blinds.

"Where is it?" Steve demanded as he pulled his hood down. Nat was backed up against the wall with nowhere else to go. She had to face the music and answer.

"Safe," the Russian assured him in an equally agitated tone.

"Do better," the super-soldier all but growled in reply.

"Where did you get it?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Fury gave it to you. Why?" Even Alex had to admit, Nat's elusiveness was starting to lose its charm, given the situation both she and Steve now faced.

"What's on it, Nat?"

"I don't know," Nat deflected and Alex was still half keeping an eye on the corridor. Sooner or later someone was going to need this room.

"Stop _lying_."

"I only act like I know everything, Rogers."

"Bet you knew Fury hired the Pirates, didn't you?" That information seemed to take the redhead by surprise. Alex fidgeted with the sleeve of her jacket.

"Well, it makes sense, the ship was dirty. Fury needed a way in, so do you."

"I'm not going to ask again," Steve reiterated. The gravel in his voice was sign enough that he was serious.

"I know who killed Fury." Nat's reply took them both by surprise. Carefully, Steve stepped back and Alex moved in to fully join the conversation.

"Don't let the anticipation kill us, Jesus, Nat." The Russian assassin rolled her eyes at the brunette before giving them an answer.

"Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. The ones that do, call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years."

"So he's a ghost story?"

"Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran. Somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out. But the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer so he shot him, straight through me. Soviet slug. Bye-bye bikinis."

"If going after him is a dead-end, why bother?" Alex questioned as she adjusted the cap on her head. A moment of silence followed. It was clear everyone was thinking, formulating. Nat held up the flash drive they'd been looking for and Steve seemed to change his tune.

"Let's find out what the ghost wants."

The three of them made their way out of the hospital and thankfully, Nat had a slightly more suitable car than the Stingray parked outside. They climbed in and set their bags in the back. The plan was simple, they preferred to keep it that way so they were all on the same page.

They located the nearest mall and laid out the plan. Alex and Steve would go inside, debug the flash drive, find out where they need to go next. Nat would keep an eye on outside and find them a new car to _commandeer_. Mercifully, the drive to the nearest mall wasn't that long and before the car had come to a complete stop, Alex and Steve were out and speed-walking to get inside.

"Alright, I'm no expert at being on the run, but I'm pretty sure the first rule is _walk_ don't run," Alex mused quietly as they moved through the sea of people. They passed a fountain and Alex admired the layer of change that decorated the bottom.

"If I run in these shoes, they'll fall off," Steve remarked in reply, though he did slow down his pace slightly to allow Alex the chance to keep up. Off to the left, Alex spotted an Apple store and pulled Steve along in the general direction. The store itself wasn't too busy, but they still made a concerted effort to choose the bank of MacBooks that were completely deserted. Alex pulled the flash drive from the front pocket of her jeans and held it in her palm.

"If my feeling about this is right, as soon as we plug this in, they're going to know where we are," the brunette theorised as she weighed out the pros and cons. Steve seemed a little more on edge than she was, so she tried to downplay how badly she was really freaking out.

"How much time do we have?"

"About nine minutes from... Now." She plugged the flash drive in and the laptop lit up. Immediately she set to work running decryption after decryption and threw every bit of IT knowledge she had at cracking open the content on that flash drive. Though it presented its own set of challenges, getting the information wasn't as big a problem as she initially anticipated it to be.

"Fury was right about the ship at least. Somebody's trying to hide something... It's being protected by some kind of AI. It keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands," Alex explained as she continued to type away. Steve adjusted his stance to stand over her shoulder, not in a way meant to come off as overbearing, but protective. Alex appreciated that.

"Can you override it or not?"

"Please, the person who set this up is only marginally smarter than I am," she assured him with a cocky grin.

"I'm gonna have to run a tracer program, the one S.H.I.E.L.D uses to track hostile malware. At the very least if we can't read the files, we can find out where they came from." As the program began to work its magic, they were approached by a store employee. A man in his late twenties with long hair and a short beard.

"Can I help you guys with anything?" he questioned with a cheery smile and Alex had to improvise. She turned to face the employee with a bright smile and leaned back into Steve's chest.

"Oh, no we're alright, thank you. My fiance and I were just weighing up some honeymoon locations," she explained with a faux-sweetness to her voice. To emphasise her point, she looked up at Steve adoringly, though she wasn't sure how good a job she was doing.

"Right, yeah. We're getting married," Steve played along and smiled with her.

"Congratulations. Where are you guys thinking about going?" Alex turned away to continue typing whilst the program finished running. The location popped up on screen and Steve must've panicked because he replied.

"New Jersey." Alex wanted so desperately to slam her head against the desk but restrained herself from doing so. There was an awkward moment. An uncomfortable pause as the employee stared a little too closely. Alex feared that he might've seen through their charade and tapped faster at the keys.

"I have the same glasses," he informed the pair and Alex bit back a relieved sigh.

"Cool, you guys are practically twins," Alex mused somewhat sarcastically as she kept her gaze fixed on the screen.

"Yeah, I wish," the employee chuckled before gesturing to Steve, "Specimen. Well, if you guys need anything, I've been Aaron." Alex had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. When he was gone, Alex could relax. Steve too, as it happened. He glanced at his watch and leaned in.

"You said nine minutes, come on," he prompted impatiently and Alex tutted.

"Relax, Spangles, I know what I'm doing." As she spoke, the final location appeared on the screen. Alex cast a glance at Steve and was confused as to why he seemed to freeze up.

"You know it?"

"I used to. Let's go," he replied, and Alex swiped the flash drive from the side of the laptop. They ducked out of the store and desperately tried to blend in with the crowds. As they walked, Steve gave the short brunette a rundown of what he assumed and had observed.

"Standard tac team. Two behind, two across and two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you hit the escalator south to the metro." Whilst Alex didn't like the idea of Steve taking on six at once, she didn't have much of a say in the matter.

"Quick, put your arm around me. Laugh at something I said," Alex instructed and Steve obliged. The way he leaned in to hide his face and the way his fake laugh resonated in her ears sent a torrent of butterflies through Alex, not that she would ever admit that out loud.

They made it to the escalators. As they wedged themselves in amongst unsuspecting members of the public, Alex almost let herself relax. Until she spotted Rumlow on the escalator next to them, heading directly towards them. She panicked for a split-second before she turned back to face Steve.

"Kiss me."

"What?" There was nothing the super-soldier could do to hide the surprise in his voice and facial expression at Alex's request.

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable," she stated simply, knowing they were running out of time to throw Rumlow off their scent.

"Yes, they do," he agreed and Alex rolled her eyes before she reached up and curled her fingers around the nape of his neck. She pulled him in and kissed him.

It was the strangest sensation. Not the circumstances she'd imagined ever kissing _anyone_ in, let alone America's Golden Boy. For the sake of theatrics, Alex let her other hand rest inside his jacket, on his hip. In his shock, Steve's hands found purchase on Alex's waist, involuntarily holding her close to him.

When she pulled away, it was hard not to notice the rosy glow that burnished Steve's cheeks and ears. Alex found it endearing.

"Still uncomfortable?" she questioned as they stepped off at the bottom.

"It's not exactly the word I'd use," he admitted quietly as they made their way back to Natasha in the parking lot.

**-/-/-**

Three and a half hours later, they crossed state lines into New Jersey. The car ride had been unbearably awkward and Alex was sat in the front passenger seat whilst Nat slept in the back. For the duration of the ride, Alex had been unable to think about anything else other than the kiss on the escalator. Unable to take it any longer, Alex let her curiosity get the better of her.

"I have one question by the way - you don't have to answer, but if you don't I feel like that kind of answers it anyway," she began to ramble and Steve gave her a pointed look.

"What?"

"Was that your first kiss since World War Two?" Alex didn't know where the sudden burst of confidence had come from but she certainly wasn't complaining. 

"That bad, huh?" the blonde behind the steering wheel sighed and Alex sat up to object.

"I didn't say that."

"Well, it kinda sounds like that's what you're saying." A laugh of disbelief escaped Alex's lips as she turned to face him as best as she could in her seat.

"No! I didn't. I just wondered, how much practise you've had since you came out of the ice," the brunette defended and tried to stop herself from digging a bigger metaphorical grave.

"You don't need to practise -"

"Everybody needs to practise!" At this, Nat woke up and leant forward to listen to the conversation.

"It wasn't my first kiss since nineteen-forty-five. I'm ninety-five, not dead," he stated simply and Alex left it at that.

"Kiss?"

"Nothing," they replied in unison and Nat sat back with a sigh. As the scenery of the Garden State rolled by, the sun began to set and Alex was finally starting to feel the exhaustion creeping in. Mercifully, they were only a short ten minutes away from the pinpointed location.

When they finally rolled to a stop outside a fenced-off compound-looking place, Alex was grateful to get out of the car and stretch her extremities. Nat monitored the signal on a handheld device and the three of them approached the chainlink fences. The sun was starting to set. The air was getting cooler.

"This is it?" Alex questioned as she kicked a clump of grass with the toe of her shoe.

"The file came from these coordinates," Nat confirmed.

"So did I," Steve stated as he forced the gate open.

**-/-/-**

The sun had well and truly been swallowed by the horizon by the time they'd finished searching the majority of the old military base. There was a small section left they were yet to check. As they moved between dilapidated buildings with blown-out windows and rotting wooden doors, Nat continued to search for the signal. Alex just took in the sights.

"This is where I was trained," Steve stated quietly as they passed an old storage hangar.

"Change much?" Nat questioned as she followed the raised walk-around platform.

"A little," the blonde admitted as he stopped at a rusted flagpole. Alex reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright, Steve? Do you need a minute?" He shook his head and mouthed a gentle 'no' in response before he carried on and caught up with Nat.

"This is a dead-end. Zero heat signatures, zero waves. Not even the radio waves. Whoever wrote the file must've used a router to throw people off."

"Great," Alex mused sarcastically as Nat turned around in a slow circle. She turned to Steve for their next move but grew confused at what Steve appeared to be fixated on. He was staring at something and Alex attempted to follow his gaze.

"What's the matter?" Without an initial reply, the super-soldier took off in the direction of a bunker they'd missed.

"Army regulations forbid the storage of munitions within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place." Alex was impressed and as they approached the locked and rusted-over doors, decided to keep quiet and observe. A single swipe of his shield and the padlock split in two, letting them in.

The inside of the building smelt musty and damp, though that didn't really surprise Alex. Nat flicked a switch and lights flickered into life, illuminating the dusty room with a candescent glow.

"This is S.H.I.E.L.D.," Nat observed as they all saw the logo printed on the far wall.

"Maybe where it started," Steve agreed as they moved through the abandoned desks and chairs. The trio moved to a side room and was greeted with cubby holes for storage and a dusty set of pictures hung on the walls. With a nod and half a chuckle, Nat pointed them out.

"That's Howard Stark?" Alex moved around her two teammates and stretched up to pluck it from the wall. The frame and glass were dirty and covered in smudges, but the black and white print was clear.

"Your grandfather."

"Yeah, Tony never talks about him. Not really. It's a touchy subject, I know, but I've always wanted to know more about who I am and all that," she explained quietly as she kept a hold of the frame as they moved on.

"If you're already working in a secret office," Steve started before prying the secret door open, "Why do you need to hide the elevator?" Alex trailed behind, still fascinated by the picture in her hands. There was a striking resemblance between Tony and his father, Alex could see that with no speculation. She'd inherited the same whisky-brown eyes.

Nat got the code for the elevator and cautiously, they boarded. At the bottom, the _very_ bottom of what Alex assumed was the sub-sub basement level, the doors finally opened. The lights turned on without a switch and illuminated rows and rows of old computers and data banks. Alex's eyes lit up like a child at Christmas. There was a central dais that they moved to stand on. If she listened hard enough, Alex swore she could hear the ghosts of the past whispering about them.

"I'm getting major hinky vibes from this place," she admitted aloud as Nat and Steve looked around. Under the harsh fluorescent strip lights, Alex noticed Nat's frown.

"This _can't_ be the data point. This tech is ancient." Alex spotted a not-so ancient-looking USB port plugged into one of the old-timey monitors and pointed it out.

"Not too ancient, it seems." Alex and Steve observed as Nat plugged in the flash drive and waited with bated breaths to find out what would happen. Immediately, more lights turned on, more of the data banks started coming to life. They turned in circles, sceptical, before focusing on the main computers in front of them.

_"Initiate system?"_ a warbled electronic voice questioned and Alex let Nat take the reigns. The redheaded Russian stepped up to the keyboard and let her fingers hover over the dusty keys.

"Y-E-S spells yes." As soon as she hit the enter key, an ominous whirring sound made itself known. The hairs on the back of Alex's neck stood up and a chill ran down her spine.

"Shall we play a game?" Nat joked and neither one of them were impressed.

"It's from a movie -"

"We know." An image flickered to life on the screen, harsh green lines that formed what Alex realised was a bespectacled face.

_"Rogers, Steven Grant. Born in nineteen-eighteen. Romanova, Natalia Alianovna, born nineteen-eighty-four. Stark, Alexandra Maria, born nineteen-ninety-four."_

"It's some kind of recording..." Nat guessed, unable to explain how the computer knew who they were.

_"I am not a recording, Fraeulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me, prisoner, in nineteen-forty-five. But I am."_

"You know this thing?" Alex turned to Steve in disbelief. He shook his head and hefted his shield.

"Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years," Steve assured them both before their attentions were turned back to the screen.

_"The first correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you, I have never been more alive."_ the heavily accented voice reprimanded. Alex already found the voice to grate on her nerves and wished that it didn't.

_"In nineteen-seventy-two, I received a terminal diagnosis. Science couldn't save my body. My mind, however, was worth saving. On two-hundred-thousand feet of databanks. You are standing in my brain."_

"Oh, gross," Alex grimaced as she took another look around at the hundreds of databanks.

"How did you get here?" Alex could tell that interrogating a sentient computer was not something Steve was familiar with, but he was handling it well enough.

_"Invited."_

"Operation Paperclip after World War Two. S.H.I.E.L.D recruited German scientists with strategic value," Nat chimed in with a shrug, just as confused as the others who watched the screen.

_"They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own."_

"Hydra died with the Red Skull," the blonde to Alex's left insisted.

_"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."_

"Prove it."

_"Hydra was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realise, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist,"_ Zola began and Alex felt like she was about to be given a history lesson. The kind they don't teach at Midtown.

"That much should've been obvious," the redhead mused in reply.

_"The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, S.H.I.E.L.D was founded and I was recruited. The new Hydra grew. A beautiful parasite. For seventy years, Hydra has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war and when history didn't cooperate, history was changed."_

"That's impossible, S.H.I.E.L.D should've stopped you," Alex rebuffed with a growing sense of panic settling in her veins.

_"Accidents will happen."_ Articles flashed across the screen. Alex read the headlines as fast as she could and her heart fell to her feet when the words sunk in.

**_Howard and Maria Stark Die In Car Accident._ **

"Son of a bitch!" Alex exclaimed and lunged at the monitor. Luckily, Steve intercepted and stopped her from smashing the machine to pieces.

_"Hydra created a world, so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, Hydra's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your life. A zero-sum."_ Apparently, it was Steve's turn to retaliate and he punched the middle of the computer. A spiderweb of fractured glass exploded and the screen went black. To the right, a smaller screen lit up.

_"As I was saying..."_

"What's on the drive?" Steve barked and Alex almost flinched at the ferocity in his voice. She wasn't accustomed to seeing him so volatile and shaken up.

_"Project Insight requires Insight. So I wrote an algorithm."_ That was good news for Alex. The thought of detangling an algorithm brought her a minuscule sense of comfort.

"What kind of algorithm? What does it do?"

_"The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it."_

The elevator doors began to close. Steve launched his shield at them in an attempt to jam them open long enough to get out, but he _just_ missed. Fear dripped over Alex's senses as Nat's handheld device began beeping.

"Steve, we got a bogey. Short-range ballistics. Thirty-seconds tops."

"Who fired it?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D."

_"I am afraid I've been stalling, Captain. Admit it, it's better this way,"_ the computer droned as Nat grabbed the flash drive and Steve directed them both to the grating on the floor. He ripped a panel free and let them climb in first before following after them. In the compact space, he just about had time to steady his shield and body across Nat and Alex before the building blew up.

As the building collapsed on top of them, a tight, twisting sensation tugged at Alex's chest. It was like New York all over again. Being buried alive under the rubble, fractured concrete, gnarled metal piping. Trapped. The youngest of the trio forced herself to stay calm. She clamped her eyes shut and huddled closer to Steve and Nat as the building rained down.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Free from the blast, Steve, Alex and Natasha hightail it back to DC where they reunite with a familiar face. Whilst Sam gives them a place to clean up and rest for a few hours, they figure out their best plan of action, which leads to some surprising revelations. Things only get more complicated when they're interrupted in-transit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): canonical violence against characters, dislocation of joints, physical injuries, mild language, Rumlow reappears, vomit, brief symptoms of a panic attack, GSW.

**ONCE THE DEBRIS HAD SETTLED, ALEX OPENED HER EYES.** From between the sizeable pieces of broken concrete and steel, she noted a flickering orange glow. No doubt a fire or two caused by the explosion. Steve pushed a few blocks out of the way and it became apparent that Nat must've been knocked unconscious at some point during the explosion. Without hesitation, Steve scooped her up.

"Can you walk?" he panted, face streaked with dirt and sweat. Rendered speechless, Alex nodded and forced herself to her feet. She followed after him as he stepped through the rubble and debris. As they made it to a clearing, Steve caught sight of a quinjet flying low to the ground and several sets of flashlights sweeping across the carnage.

"C'mon, I'm not hanging around to get caught." Together, they navigated their way through the burning remains of the bunker until they were safely back at the car.

"So, we're hightailing it to New York, right?" Alex questioned as they left the camp in the rearview mirror. Steve tightened his grip on the steering wheel and shook his head. Nat was safely strapped into the back seat and the car was uncomfortably quiet.

"No? What do you mean no? We could get help -"

"Alex, it's not the team's problem to deal with -"

"It wasn't mine either, but I guess I have a habit of getting into places I don't belong," she countered sharply and sat back in the passenger seat.

"You know I appreciate what you've done to help me. I couldn't have gotten this far without you, but sometimes the easiest route to take is the one with the lowest number of people involved," he attempted to appease her, voice now low and soft. Alex couldn't stay mad at him for something as stupid as semantics but turned back to face him again.

"So what's the plan? We're not safe in DC. If what just happened wasn't clue enough, we're basically fugitives now. Unless that happened to escape your memory over the past hour?"

"Trust me. I know a place. You should probably get some rest, it's going to be at least four hours back to DC." Alex took him up on that offer and settled into the seat. She removed her baseball cap and pulled her hood up.

**-/-/-**

The next time Alex opened her eyes, the sun was up and they were back in DC. But they weren't heading back to either of their apartments, which confused Alex as she watched Steve navigate the empty morning streets.

"Oh, good, you're awake."

"Yeah, where are we going?" she questioned through a stifled yawn. The young woman almost ten years his junior stretched out as best as she could in the limited space of the front seat. As they turned into a fairly urbanised street, Steve cleared his throat.

"To a safe place... Ish."

"That's _so_ not comforting," Alex retorted as Nat woke up with a groan. Right as they pulled into a foreign driveway. From the outside, the house seemed cosy. Part of it appealed to Alex in a way she couldn't quite understand. Steve cut the engine and the three of them climbed out. They stood on the porch and readied themselves as Steve knocked on the door.

The man that answered was the same one that Alex had seen him with the day they were called out to the _Lemurian Star._ She still had yet to learn his name. He slid the door open with a concerned frown at the three soot-covered and bruised up "superheroes" on his doorstep.

"Hey, man," he greeted, uncertain as to why they were there. Alex couldn't blame him for being suspicious, but just desperately wanted to clean herself up.

"I'm sorry about this," Steve began with a heavy sincerity "We need a place to lay low."

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us," Alex spoke up with a dry throat.

"Not everyone," was all he said before he stepped aside and let them in. Sam - as Alex learned his name was - directed them to the bathroom and linen cupboard. Natasha went first and left Alex and Steve to their own devices in the meantime.

"You doin' alright?" he questioned quietly from his seat on the guest bed. Alex snapped out of the daydream she'd found herself in and shrugged.

"Four years ago, I was dropped off at Tony's place in Malibu. I never in a million years thought I'd ever wind up here. A mutant freak who's now a wanted fugitive..." she admitted bitterly as she picked at her nails. Steve shuffled over and put a hand on her shoulder, making her look at him.

"You're not a freak, Alex. You're a survivor," Steve stated firmly and Alex almost wanted to believe him.

"I don't feel like one... Y' know, ever since I got these powers, I feel like I've seen a side of humanity that I never want to ever again. Like, when you open a door and walk in on something horrible. You want to look away, to shut the door and forget about it. But I can't. I can't shut the door _or_ forget about what I've seen. And that terrifies me," Alex confessed in a broken whisper. Tears rimmed her eyes and she swallowed thickly before she sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

"It's stupid, I know -"

"No, no it's not. Maybe you don't have the strength to shut the door today. Or tomorrow, or even the day after that. But you _will_ find that strength, Alex. All doors can be shut if you push hard enough." Alex nodded in understanding, but couldn't say anything because Nat emerged from the bathroom and left the door open for whoever wanted to go next.

"You go, I can wait," she assured him and gestured towards the bathroom. With a parting pat on the shoulder, Steve stood up and disappeared inside.

When they'd all had their turns cleaning up in the bathroom and a moment to gather themselves, Sam appeared in the doorway. The smell of food wafted in after him and Alex's stomach grumbled embarrassingly loud.

"I made breakfast. If you guys, eat that sort of thing."

"I am _starving!_ " Alex exclaimed before trailing after Sam. Nat and Steve were close behind. The four of them ate until they couldn't manage any more. For the first time in almost four days, Alex was content. As she pushed her empty plate away slightly, Nat sat back and posed a question to the group.

"So, the question is who at S.H.I.E.L.D. could launch a domestic missile strike?"

"Pierce," Steve stated with a bitter tone. Alex took a mouthful of juice before she chipped in her two cents.

"You mean the one person who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world?"

"But, he's not working alone. Zola's algorithm was on the _Lemurian Star_ ," the blonde super-soldier verbalised and Nat got up to pace around some.

"So was Jasper Sitwell," Nat realised and the puzzle started to fall together.

"Now the _real_ question is, how do three of the most wanted people in Washington kidnap an officer of S.H.I.E.L.D in broad daylight?" Steve quizzed and that set everyone off on thinking of different potential plans. Sam came around the breakfast island and dropped a file on the table.

"The answer is, you don't."

"What's this?" Steve nodded to the file and Alex took note of the picture on the front.

"Call it a resume." Nat picked up the picture off the top and examined it closer.

"Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you?" Alex wasn't entirely sure of what they were referring to but decided not to bring that point to light.

"You didn't say he was pararescue," Nat chided Steve, almost teasingly. As Alex tried to pay attention to the conversation at hand, the blood rushing in her ears grew louder and she was finding it hard to breathe normally.

She suffered for a minute longer before she stood abruptly and excused herself. Alex dashed to the back door and just about made it to the grass before she threw up nearly everything she'd eaten for breakfast. In her panic, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled Tony's number.

_"Alex? What's going on, is everything alright?"_

"No! No, everything is so far from alright and I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you and stay in New York -" she sobbed down the phone, trying desperately to catch her breath.

 _"Hey, hey, take it easy. Try taking some deep breaths for me, okay? Can you do that Alex?"_ Through the tears and the sour taste of bile, Alex tried to follow his instructions.

_"Now, slowly, tell me what's wrong."_

"I - We - Tony, I'm in so much shit I don't know what to do! I probably shouldn't even be talking to you because Steve, Nat and I are wanted in DC and I don't know how safe we really are," she explained hurriedly between ragged breaths. 

_"Tell me where you are and we can deal with this together -"_

"No, I can't do that" she insisted as she finally started to calm down, "I can't let you get dragged into this. I'm sorry. I love you and I'm sorry for everything that's about to happen." Before he could try and reason with her, she'd hung up and stepped back inside.

"- Dude, Captain America needs my help. No better reason to get back in."

"What did I miss?" She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat as she rejoined the three others in Sam's kitchen.

"Look at what Sam's been hiding." Steve handed over the file and Alex almost couldn't believe what they contained. It was a game-changer for them.

"Where can we get our hands on one of these things?" Steve questioned and Sam chuckled.

"The last one is at Fort Meade. Behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall."

"You make it sound like it's gonna be hard," Alex teased with a watery laugh as they packed their things and headed out.

**-/-/-**

In the hustle and bustle of midday DC, the plan was set into motion. Sam and Alex took their positions on the street whilst Nat and Steve hid out of sight with a sniper rifle.

"So, you're Tony Stark's kid, hm?" Sam questioned as their drinks arrived. Alex accepted her hot chocolate with a smile at the waitress.

"Yeah. And, before you say anything, yes, I know those are some _seriously_ big shoes to fill. I've got a long way to go yet." The conversation died when Sam spotted Senator Stern and his entourage exiting the fancy restaurant. Jasper Sitwell practically hanging off the Senator's arm. Sam took that as his cue to call the Mole and kickstart the second part of the plan.

"Agent Sitwell, how was lunch? I hear the crabcakes here are delicious," Sam greeted and Alex couldn't stop herself from smiling.

_"Who is this?"_

"The good-looking guy in the sunglasses and the girl in the baseball cap, your ten o'clock." They watched as he turned the wrong way and Alex rolled her eyes.

"Your _other_ ten o'clock." When Sitwell saw them both, they raised their drinks to him in a silent greeting.

_"What do you want?"_

"You're gonna go around the corner to your right," Sam started rattling off instructions to him, "There's a grey car, two spaces down. You and I are gonna take a ride."

 _"And why would I do that?"_ As if on cue, the small red dot appeared on his tie, courtesy of either Nat or Steve.

"Because that tie looks _really_ expensive and I'd hate to mess it up."

Not surprisingly, Sitwell followed his instructions and the rest was child's play. Steve, Nat and Alex got him to the roof of a building and began the interrogation. Both the women present let Steve rough him around a little first.

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm," Steve demanded simply as he carried on towards a scrambling Sitwell who was desperately trying to put some distance between himself and the trio of crimefighters.

"Never heard of it."

"What were you doing on the _Lemurian Star_?"

"Throwing up. I get seasick." Alex didn't like how smug he was and wanted desperately to get this over with. He walked backwards until he hit the ledge and then he stumbled. Steve reached out and caught his suit lapels. Righted him and held him in place.

"Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof? Because it's really not your style, Rogers." Alex knew what was coming next and couldn't stop the mile-wide grin from spreading across her lips.

"You're right. It's not -" Steve stated calmly whilst smoothing out Sitwell's jacket "- It's hers." With one solid _kick_ to the chest from Nat, Sitwell went careening over the side with a scream that Alex thought resembled a teenaged girl.

"Oh, wait, what about that girl from Accounting... Laura -" Nat began and Alex almost forgot that she seemed hellbent on finding Steve a date.

"Lillian? Lip-piercing, right?"

"Yeah, she's cute."

"Guys, really? You can play _OkayCupid_ later. We have a job to finish first," Alex interjected before Sam appeared in a gust of wind. He dropped Sitwell on to the gravelled roof and Alex got an up-close look at his Falcon suit.

"That's _so_ cool," she stated in awe as they tried for a second time to get answers from Sitwell. After he'd rolled across the floor, he'd stayed there. The four of them gathered around him and awaited answers.

"Zola's algorithm is a program for choosing Insight's targets!" Sitwell exclaimed breathlessly, gesturing surrender to the quad.

"What targets?" Steve pushed.

"You three, a TV Anchor in Cairo, the Under Secretary of Defense, a high school Valedictorian in Iowa City, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange - anyone who's a threat to Hydra. Now, or in the future."

"In the future? How could it know?" Alex spoke up with a tone of contempt against the mole.

"How could it not? The twenty-first century is a digital book. Zola taught Hydra how to read it," he paused for a moment to gauge their reactions, "Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores! Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future."

"And what then?"

"Oh my God, Pierce is going to kill me," Sitwell began to panic and Alex rolled her eyes.

"What then?" Steve repeated and Sam grabbed his collar for emphasis. They weren't playing around.

"Then, the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off that list. A few million at a time."

 _"Dios Mio,"_ Alex remarked quietly as Steve and Sam hassled Sitwell back down to the bottom of the building and into the car they'd arrived in.

**-/-/-**

To say the car was cramped was an understatement. Steve rode shotgun, Sam drove whilst Nat, Alex and Jasper were all jammed into the backseat. Sitwell had tried to talk his way out several times, only to be shot down consistently by one person or another.

"HYDRA doesn't like leaks," he insisted and Alex withheld a groan at his futile attempts at gaining his freedom.

"Then why don't you start by sticking a cork in it?" Sam suggested from behind the wheel.

"Insight's launching in sixteen hours. We're cutting it a little bit close here," Nat spoke up and Alex couldn't help but think of everything that they had to do in those sixteen hours before the carriers launched. The list was formidable.

"I know," Steve consoled, "We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly." Sitwell immediately sat forward, leaning across Alex's personal space. Without hesitation, Alex yanked him back into his seat by the collar of his shirt.

"What? Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible -" A thud atop the car caught everyone's attention and before Sitwell could finish his sentence, he was flung from his seat, through the window - which had been closed - and into oncoming traffic.

The remaining four passengers in the car were subjected to chaos as someone began shooting through the roof at them. Alex took it upon herself to hide in the footwell whilst Nat crawled into Steve's lap and pulled him out of the way. Steve jammed the car into park and they skidded, the mystery figure was flung from the roof of the car and rolled to a stop a hundred or so yards in front of them.

Nat raised her gun to shoot, but they were rammed from behind by an armoured vehicle. Glass shattered and metal buckled. Alex fought to get out of the footwell before she became shredded meat. No matter what Sam attempted to do to slow the car down, it didn't work. they were railroaded and the mystery shooter climbed on to the roof again.

Alex watched as the steering wheel was _literally_ ripped from its position in front of Sam and flung aside like a piece of junk. She had no idea what to anticipate next and that scared her. With no control over the car at all, they swerved and snaked, buffeting into the concrete crash barriers several times before Steve grabbed Alex by the sleeve, followed by Nat and Sam. As the car left the road and began to flip, the four of them dropped out of the passenger side door.

Sparks flew as they skidded across the asphalt. Sam rolled off in one direction, Natasha in another and Alex landed the closest to Steve. They barely had the chance to stand up before a _grenade launcher!?_ was fired at them. Natasha ducked behind the nearest wrecked car and Steve ended up taking the brunt of the explosion. Thankfully the shock-absorbing properties of his shield meant he wasn't actually hurt, but he was tossed over the side of the bridge, out of sight.

Whilst several HYDRA mercs shot at Nat, Sam and Alex, getting ever closer, Alex couldn't hear herself think over the noise of bullets against metal and concrete.

"Alex! Get out of here, make sure Steve's okay!" Nat called out over the noise and she nodded in understanding. She ducked behind an upturned SUV and stepped into the shadow of the wrecked vehicle. When she stepped out, she was under the bridge and bore witness to the carnage that had unfolded already.

"Steve?" the brunette called out as loud as she could whilst running towards an upended bus. Glass littered the road and there was a small cluster of civilians that were slowly climbing out of the bus wreckage.

Thankfully, he was inside and unscathed. Another explosion on the bridge reverberated in Alex's chest as she helped him to his feet.

"C'mon, this isn't the time to play hide and seek with an assassin, Steve." Neither one of them made it very far before bullets began ripping through the bus. As they made a sprint for the back window of the bus through the hail of bullets, one caught Alex in the thigh. It didn't stick, it was only a graze, but that didn't detract from how much it hurt.

"I'm fine! Go!" she insisted when Steve stopped to question if she was alright.

"Can you still use your powers?" he questioned as they burst out of the back.

"I think so - I'll get as many people out of the way as I can," she promised as she took off in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, both the Winter Soldier and Natasha had headed in the same direction as her. The civilians, largely, had removed themselves from the scene with a little persuasion, which made Alex's job easier.

She cleared as many civilians as she could and as she helped a confused middle-aged woman to her feet, an explosion erupted over her shoulder. Black smoke and what used to be a car burst into the air. Alex stood up for a moment and strained to see what was going on. A flash of red hair gave her the assurance she needed.

"Alright, I need you to head over there, if you're hurt, call an ambulance or a loved one, I'm really sorry this is happening," she rambled as she directed the woman towards a group of other people also running away and calling for help.

"Alex, your shadow-jumping would come in handy right about now," Nat called out frantically as she darted through the lines of abandoned vehicles. Alex spied the perfect shadow to use and headed straight for it.

"On it!" she yelled back before she closed her eyes and ran. Alex visualised it so desperately that her head began to hurt. When she opened her eyes, lo and behold, she was now hidden around a corner, in a large shadow.

To say that the Winter Soldier was miles more intimidating up close than he was from the confines of a car, would be an understatement. Alex took him on as best as she could, using her training to her advantage.

It was all going rather well, she'd managed to lure him away from the civilians and back towards the Expressway. However, as expected, the success didn't last long and she tripped over a crater in the concrete. As she collided with the floor, her legs turned to jello. Alex wasn't able to recover quick enough and the next thing she knew, she was being pulled to her feet by her throat. She thrashed and scratched and kicked at the leather-clad assassin, but to no avail. With no more effort than it would take to throw a doll, Alex was launched through the air.

The splitting pain that exploded in her hip, shoulders and ribs was almost blinding. Her vision doubled, tripled even and everything spun in a nauseating fashion. With what little strength she had left, she hauled herself to a standing position and began limping back to Steve and Sam. Nat was nowhere to be seen and that added to the worry that mounted on top of her shoulders.

She rounded a corner, on the verge of collapse and saw Steve and the Winter Soldier engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Alex was of no use to him, she could barely walk, let alone fight _again._ The fight unravelled before her and as Steve flipped the Winer Soldier over his shoulder, he rolled out of it and stood up, sans mask. Everything came to a grinding halt.

"Bucky?"

"Who the Hell is Bucky?" the Winter Soldier questioned before raising one of his many handguns in Steve's direction. Alex couldn't look away. Abject fascination kept her watching the exchange. The Winter Soldier didn't shoot Steve, but only because Sam got in there first. He swooped in and kicked the HYDRA-trained assassin to the floor.

When he was on his feet again, his second attempt to shoot Steve was thwarted by Natasha and the grenade launcher. In a trail of black smoke, he'd disappeared. The four of them regrouped and caught their breaths. It became apparent that Nat was shot and bleeding quite profusely, Alex most likely had a dislocated shoulder and some seriously bruised ribs. But all in all, they were okay. Ish.

The reprieve lasted all of a few seconds before wailing SUVs approached with blue and red lights flashing. Several of the matte-black vehicles skidded to a stop and the STRIKE team immediately disembarked. They were surrounded and orders were being barked at them from left, right and centre. As best as she could, Alex raised just her good arm, as Sam and Steve did, slowly followed by Nat.

The four of them were forced to their knees and then face down on the asphalt. Aggravated tears ran down Alex's cheeks as she was forced into handcuffs. The pain that shot from her wrist to her shoulder was nauseating.

Once they were loaded into one of the armoured vehicles with their hands secured in bulky, tailor-made restraints, Alex finally managed to curb the sparks of pain in her arm and the pounding in her ribs that made it hard to breathe.

"I am in such _deep_ shit," she sighed as she threw her head back against the wall of the van.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading this far! Drop a kudos or a comment to let me know what you think! Feedback is always appreciated :)


End file.
